Health
Is your sleep interrupted by leg cramps? Here are some of the most surprising causes
If painful leg cramps have woken you up in the middle of the night, the condition can be both scary and confusing.
You may think it’s due to the position you’re sleeping in — but there’s more to know about nighttime leg cramps than that.
In original interviews, two physicians gave a “leg up” on the causes and treatments of nighttime leg cramps.
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Here’s what to know.
What are nighttime leg cramps?
More commonly known as a charley horse, a nighttime leg cramp is when the muscles in a leg quickly tighten up.
A charley horse is a sudden, painful and involuntary muscle spasm or cramp, noted health.com. While it usually happens in your leg, especially the calf, it can actually happen in any muscle.
“Sometimes the cramps last a few minutes, but I have had patients whose leg cramps lasted longer than that,” said one doctor. (iStock)
A person can be woken up as a result of painful leg cramp symptoms, said Mike Sevilla, M.D., a family physician with Family Practice Center of Salem in Salem, Ohio.
“Sometimes the cramps last a few minutes, but I have had patients whose leg cramps lasted longer than that,” he said.
Who gets nighttime leg cramps?
Nighttime cramps become more common as people get older and unfortunately, can become more frequent, Sara Austin, M.D., an associate professor of neurology at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, told Fox News Digital.
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She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
If you experience frequent leg cramps, your primary care doctor should test to make sure your thyroid hormone level is normal.
Most of the time, nighttime leg cramps just happen — but there are some causes, she said.
Being human. “That’s the most common cause. We all get them sometimes,” she said.
“If you notice that the cramps are associated with weakness in the extremity, or if they consistently interfere with the way you walk, you should bring that to your doctor’s attention.” (iStock)
Hypothyroidism. If you experience frequent cramps, she said, your primary care doctor should test to make sure your thyroid hormone level is normal.
Dehydration or very intense exercise. “Make sure if you sweat excessively or are dehydrated that you drink more fluids, preferably with some electrolytes,” she cautioned.
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Restless leg syndrome. Those who have restless leg syndrome seem to describe some of their symptoms as cramps, she said.
“If you consistently feel like you wake up after being asleep for several hours and you feel symptoms in your leg — cramping, tingling, burning, aching — that are relieved by getting up and walking around, you might have restless leg syndrome,” Austin said.
“If you find that you’re having two to three cramps every night for weeks to months, you should check in with a neurologist.”
Speak with your doctor for further evaluation.
Can leg cramps be a sign of serious conditions?
Some neuromuscular diseases are associated with more frequent muscle cramps, but this is not common, said Dr. Austin.
“They are very rare,” she said.
There are also prescription medication options for nighttime leg cramps, “but patients should check with their family physician before considering prescription meds.” (iStock)
“But if you find that you are having two to three cramps every night for weeks to months, you should check in with a neurologist,” she advised.
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“Or, if you notice that the cramps are associated with weakness in the extremity, or if they consistently interfere with the way you walk, you should bring that to your doctor’s attention.”
How can someone treat leg cramps?
When leg cramps begin, start with a gentle stretching of the muscles, said Sevilla of the Family Practice Center of Salem.
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“In addition, what may help symptoms include massage of the area and application of a heating pad.”
When leg cramps begin, start with a gentle stretching of the muscles. (iStock)
Also, he said, “consider over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.”
There are also prescription medication options, “but patients should check with their family physician before considering prescription meds.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
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Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
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“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
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The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
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“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
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Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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