Why do elderly people have cramps in their hands and feet when sleeping at night?

Causes and solutions of 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 cramps generally include the following:

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 Quilted.

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 cramps occur? Taking the following different countermeasures according to different reasons can quickly relieve the cramps 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 cramps, you should pay attention to the following points:

① Keep warm from cold.

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 didn't cover myself with a quilt when I slept 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.

2. Prevention of Cramps

① Pay attention to supplementing calcium and vitamin D. You can take calcium tablets or foods rich in calcium 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