Many people have a mild form of the disorder, but RLS severely affects the lives of millions of individuals. Features Top of Page primary features of RLS Adults with R LS will typically have all four of these primary features. The bothersome, but usually not painful, sensations deep in the legs produce an irresistible urge to move. Some words used to describe these sensations include creeping, itching, pulling, creepy-crawly or tugging . Symptoms are worse or exclusively present when the afflicted individual is at rest, and the sensations are typically lessened by voluntary movement of the affected extremity.
Symptoms are worse in the evening and at night, especially when the individual lies down.
This restlessness may be seen as fidgetiness or nervousness. Because you may experience difficulties with falling and staying asleep at night, you may be abnormally tired or even sleepy during waking hours. Chronic sleep deprivation and its resultant daytime sleepiness can affect your ability to work, participate in social activities, and partake in recreational pastimes and can cause mood swings, which can affect your personal relationships. Cause Top of Page Research into the cause of RLS is ongoing and answers are limited, but we do think that RLS may have different but perhaps overlapping causes. RLS often runs in families.