I have had a few people email me about this sleeping disorder, so If you are looking for more information about Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) you are in luck and can find it here.

Overview

Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is a type of a sleep disorder and is the only movement disorder that occurs only during sleep. It is characterized by cramping or jerking movements of the legs during sleep. The movements can be described as repetitive and rhythmic and may occur every 20-40 seconds.

This type of a sleep disorder can occur at any age and is more common in middle aged and older people.

Causes

PLMD has no exact known cause, but it has been linked that the nerves traveling from the brain down to the limbs are having abnormal regulations.

PLMD can also be caused by underlying medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, iron deficiency, spinal cord tumor, spinal cord injury, sleep apnea syndrome, narcolepsy, uremia, anemia, and some anti-dopaminergic medications.

Symptoms

People affected by this disorder are not aware of the leg movements. Only their partners may notice it. Most common symptoms that these people may notice are sleeplessness and daytime sleepiness.

Some of the common symptoms are:

* The knee, ankle, and the joints of the big toe bend during the movement
* Slight to strenuous movements- wild kicking and thrashing
* The duration of the movements can last 2 seconds and has an interval of 20-40 seconds

Treatment

There are no known treatments yet. So management would aim for the relief of the symptoms. Medications that can help alleviate the symptoms are dopaminergic drugs, antiepileptic and anticonvulsant agents, skeletal muscle relaxants, and opioids.