What causes leg cramps while sleeping at night?

Many people have experienced calf cramps during nighttime sleep. Calf cramps are actually spasms of leg muscles or muscle groups caused by abnormal neuromuscular excitement. At this time, the pulling intensity of the muscle bundles is significantly greater than the pulling intensity of the muscle bundles when the muscles contract normally. Therefore, there will be soreness or swelling during calf cramps. Feeling of severe pain. Under normal circumstances, the attack can last for several seconds or tens of seconds. Calf cramps that occur at night are related to the following factors:

(1) Fatigue: Fatigue caused by excessive exercise or excessive exertion of the legs during the day, muscle tension at night has not been improved, and excessive metabolic products If it is not metabolized in time, its stimulation can cause calf cramps.

(2) Cold: When sleeping at night, cold feet and legs can cause leg muscle spasms.

(3) Hypocalcemia: When hypocalcemia occurs in the body, the excitation threshold of the neuromuscular junction is lowered. The stimulation intensity lower than normal can excite the neuromuscles, so it is easy to produce Abnormal contractions, causing calf cramps. This condition is more common in pregnant women and the elderly who are deficient in calcium.

(4) Blood flow factors: For patients with leg varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis, if they maintain a certain posture for a long time while sleeping, the leg veins will be compressed and the return flow will be blocked, causing blood flow stasis. When blood stasis reaches a certain level, it will cause leg muscle spasm.

There are many reasons for calf cramps during night sleep. No matter what the cause is, calf cramps will cause discomfort or pain and affect normal sleep. Therefore, sufficient attention must be paid to eliminate factors that can cause calf cramps, such as keeping warm while sleeping and massaging the lower limbs. If attacks occur more frequently, you should go to the hospital to seek medical treatment to find out the cause and treat it as soon as possible.

Causes and solutions to calf cramps

The scientific name of cramps is muscle spasm, which is a spontaneous tonic contraction of muscles. Muscle spasms that occur in the calves and toes are the most common. The pain is excruciating, especially in the middle of the night, which often wakes people up. The pain cannot stop for a long time and affects sleep.

The common causes of leg and foot cramps are generally as follows:

① Cold stimulation from the external environment, such as low room temperature at night in winter, a quilt that is too thin when sleeping, or legs and feet exposed To the outside of the quilt.

② Fatigue, insufficient sleep, rest, or excessive rest lead to local accumulation of acidic metabolites, which can cause muscle spasms. For example, walking or exercising for too long can lead to excessive fatigue of the lower limbs or insufficient rest and sleep, which can lead to accumulation of lactic acid; too much sleep and rest can slow down blood circulation and accumulate carbon dioxide.

③ Decreased estrogen and osteoporosis in elderly women will cause low blood calcium levels, increase muscle stress, and often cause cramps.

④ Poor sleeping posture, such as lying on your back for a long time with the quilt pressed against the instep, or lying prone for a long time with the instep against the bed, forces certain muscles of the calf to be in an absolutely relaxed state for a long time, causing muscle "Passive contracture".

What should you do when calf cramps occur? Taking the following different countermeasures according to different causes can quickly relieve the spasm and relieve pain. When cramps occur, you only need to "do the opposite", that is, pull your toes in the opposite direction of the force and hold for more than 1 to 2 minutes, and the effect will be achieved. Specifically, if the muscles at the back of the calf are cramping, you can push the foot to raise the foot and try to straighten the knee joint; when the muscles in the front of the calf are cramping, press the foot and forcefully flex the toes.

To prevent leg and foot cramps, you should pay attention to the following points:

①Keep away the cold and keep warm.

② Pay attention to sleeping posture.

⑧Do not walk or exercise for too long.

④Participate in appropriate physical exercise⑼

⑤Supplement some vitamin E when necessary.

⑥ Appropriate calcium supplementation, dairy products, lean meat and other foods containing lactic acid and amino acids can promote the dissolution of calcium salts and help absorption.

The common leg cramps are actually calf muscle spasms, which manifest as calf muscles such as gastrocnemius muscles suddenly becoming very hard and painful, which can last from a few seconds to tens of seconds.

Common causes of leg cramps

① Cold stimulation. Such as exercising in a cold environment in winter. Inadequate preparation activities and low swimming water temperature in summer can easily cause leg cramps. I slept without a quilt at night, and my calf muscles were stimulated by the cold. The cramps will be so painful that they wake you up.

② The muscles continuously contract too fast. During strenuous exercise. The whole body is in a state of tension and the leg muscles contract too fast. If the relaxation time is too short, the local metabolite lactic acid will increase, making it difficult to coordinate muscle contraction and relaxation, causing calf muscle spasm.

③Excessive sweating. Exercise for a long time. Exercising a lot, sweating a lot, and not replenishing salt in time. Massive loss of fluid and electrolytes in the body. Metabolic waste accumulation. Poor local blood circulation in muscles can also cause spasms.

④Excessive fatigue. Calf muscles are most susceptible to fatigue when traveling long distances, mountains, or climbing. Because every time you climb higher. One foot supports the whole body's weight. The force required by the muscles of this leg to lift the foot will be six times the human body weight. When it is tired to a certain level, cramps will occur.

⑤ Calcium deficiency. During muscle contraction. Calcium ions play an important role. When the concentration of calcium ions in the blood is too low, muscles are prone to excitement and spasm. Teenagers grow and develop rapidly and are prone to calcium deficiency, so leg cramps often occur.

Prevention of leg cramps

① Pay attention to supplementing calcium and vitamin D. You can take calcium tablets or calcium-rich foods such as dried shrimps, milk, soy products, etc.

② Strengthen physical exercise. When exercising, you should fully prepare for activities and allow your body to move. At this time, the blood circulation of the lower limbs will be smooth. If you participate in various strenuous sports or competitions, you can avoid leg cramps. .

③ Keep warm and prevent local muscles from getting cold.

Emergency treatment for three-leg cramps

Usually once a leg cramp occurs, you can immediately grab the big toe on the side of the cramp with your hands, then slowly straighten your foot, and then exert force Stretch your legs to relieve cramps in your calf muscles; or massage your calves vigorously with both hands, which can also be effective.

If leg cramps occur repeatedly and frequently, you should seek medical treatment.

The simplest thing is to relax when you have cramps and then slowly straighten your feet