Calf soreness when sleeping at night

You may feel soreness in your calves at night. This is probably because you are overworked during the day, which causes excessive lactic acid to accumulate in your calves. This will cause your calves to be extremely sore when you sleep at night. But there are many other reasons why this symptom may occur. Here are some detailed reasons and solutions for calf soreness.

Why do calf muscles become sore and cramp?

Muscle soreness is caused by the accumulation of local acidic metabolic products. Cramps are actually continuous contraction of muscles due to strong stimulation. Muscle cramps in the calves and toes are generally most common. Cold stimulation, fatigue, lack of sleep or too much rest, and poor sleeping posture may cause certain calf muscles to be contracted or absolutely relaxed for a long time, all of which may cause muscle "contracture".

Electrolyte imbalance, calcium deficiency, excessive water loss, some medical diseases (such as hypothyroidism) or drug side effects (taking certain antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs) and nerve diseases can also cause muscle cramps, but they often do not occur only in the legs and feet, but may also occur in other parts of the body and may recur. If you encounter such a situation, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time.

How to prevent and treat calf soreness or cramps?

The best way to prevent muscle soreness or cramps is through muscle relaxation training.

Drink a glass of diluted sports drink or light salt water before going to bed, keep your calves warm when sleeping, soak your feet in hot water before going to bed and pay attention to your sleeping posture. Drinking more soy milk and milk, and eating more vegetables, meat and other foods high in calcium may also be helpful.

Once a cramp occurs suddenly, the most direct way to relieve it is to massage the area where the cramp occurs. Use the thumb and other four fingers of the other hand to press together and repeatedly pinch the muscles on the back of the calf of the affected limb from top to bottom for a few minutes. And use the "opposite method" (i.e. bend the toes in the direction opposite to the force that causes muscle spasm) and persist for more than one or two minutes, and you will get the effect.