Why do I get leg cramps when I wake up

Why do I get leg cramps when I wake up?

Leg cramps after waking up may be caused by incorrect sleeping posture, or it may be caused by calcium deficiency. If this symptom occurs occasionally, it is generally related to sleeping posture. However, if leg cramps occur frequently, most of the time it is caused by calcium deficiency. At this time, you need to eat more foods with high calcium content in your diet, or directly supplement calcium. This will alleviate the symptoms of leg cramps and is also beneficial to your health.

Causes of leg cramps at night

1. Influence of the external environment: cold stimulation, such as low room temperature at night in winter, too thin quilt or exposed feet when sleeping.

2. Excessive fatigue, severe lack of sleep or excessive rest may lead to the accumulation of local acidic metabolic products in the body, which can cause muscle spasms. For example, walking or exercising for too long during the day will lead to excessive fatigue and lack of rest, which will cause lactic acid accumulation. If you rest too long, blood circulation in the body will slow down, which will lead to carbon dioxide accumulation.

3. The estrogen level in elderly women decreases, leading to osteoporosis. This will cause low blood calcium levels and an increase in muscle stress hormones, which will cause cramps.

4. Incorrect sleeping posture, such as lying on your back for a long time with the quilt pressing on the soles of your feet, or lying on your stomach for a long time with the soles of your feet resting on the bed. These will cause certain calf muscles to be in an absolutely relaxed state for a long time, causing "passive contracture" of the muscles.

The fastest solution for leg cramps

1. Rotation method: Sit up, straighten the cramped leg, hold the front of the foot with your hands, and rotate the ankle joint outward. As long as the movement is continuous and forceful, the severe pain can usually stop immediately.

2. Toe-bending method: Sit down, use one hand to press the cramped calf muscles, and use the other hand to grab the toes and bend the foot backward. The cramps can be relieved by dorsiflexing the foot and moving it up and down.

3. Pressing method: There are hard and protruding muscle main roots on both sides of the popliteal fossa on the inner side of the knee joint. The gastrocnemius nerve root is attached to it. Press this place strongly with your thumb, and the abnormally excited nerves will calm down, thereby stopping cramps and eliminating pain.

4. Contralateral pressure method: Use the hand on the opposite side of the cramping calf to hold the toes of the cramping leg, pull it upward with force, and at the same time press the palm of the same side on the knee of the cramping calf to help straighten the calf.

5. Massage method: Use both hands alternately to massage the calf muscles along the direction of the veins, from bottom to top. You can also place your calf muscle in your palm and gently roll and shake it, or tap the muscle from the side. This relaxes the calf muscles and restores normal blood circulation.

Classification of leg cramps

Night cramps

This includes cramps that occur in any static situation, such as while sleeping or sitting still. This type of cramp often occurs in the gastrocnemius and some small muscles in the foot. Some of these cramps are caused by voluntary neuromuscular activity that causes the patient's foot to move.

Heat stroke cramps

This type of cramping is related to dehydration and an imbalance of electrolytes in the body. This type of cramp most often occurs in athletes, especially when exercising in hot weather. Typical heat stroke cramps occur after working in a hot environment for one or two hours; heat stroke cramps may occur even within 18 hours after the activity ends, and muscle abnormalities may persist for several days. Heat stroke spasms usually occur in the large muscles of the hands, arms and legs. Sometimes some female sprinters also experience heat stroke spasms in the abdominal wall.