calf cramp at night (NOCTURNAL LEG CRAMP)

Calf Cramp at Night? Try This 10-Minute Routine.

You’re asleep, getting that restorative shut-eye you so desperately need. Ah, blissful rest. Suddenly, ouch! You’re jolted awake because of shooting pain in the back of your leg. It’s a calf cramp. Your eyes are wide open. You sit up. It’s only the middle of the night, and you wonder if you’ll ever fall back asleep. How do you get rid of that clenched feeling in your calf? You need your z’s. Our routine for calf cramps at night can help. The routine only takes 10 minutes, alleviating that intense pain so you can fall back asleep. If calf cramps interrupt your sleep regularly, you can help prevent frequent leg cramps by making these stretches part of your bedtime routine. All you need is our Stretching Strap and the Spherical Handle with the soft rounded attachment from our Osteopressure tool set. If you don’t have our tools, you can use a towel and a whittled cork. Jump to our routine or keep reading to learn about night calf cramps.

Nocturnal leg cramps are contractions that occur mostly in the calf ¹⁾ They are usually nothing to worry about. Also known as NLC or a charley horse, these painful leg cramps happen suddenly without any warning: the calf muscle contracts involuntarily, causing tightness and pain that ranges from uncomfortable to unbearable. Calf cramps feel like the muscle has been tied into a knot; they can last from seconds to minutes. A calf cramp can cause your leg muscles to spasm, which is when the muscle contracts suddenly and involuntarily and then relaxes. (A cramp lasts longer than a spasm and can be relieved by stretching or massaging the affected muscle.) After your calf cramp goes away, the surrounding muscles may be sore; the soreness can last for days.

Anyone of any age can experience leg cramps at night. Up to sixty per cent of adults²⁾ and seven per cent of children report experiencing sleep leg cramps. They’re more common in people over 60 because our tendons shorten as we age. 

Calf cramps at night can be caused by:

• Tired leg muscles. Fatigued or overworked leg muscles are common among athletes and people who exercise regularly at a high intensity.
• Sitting or standing (particularly on a hard surface) for long periods. Inactivity can cause your calf muscles to shorten and your fascia to become matted or sticky, increasing the risk of calf cramping while you sleep.
• Sleeping in a position that restricts blood flow through the legs. If you’d like to learn about healthy sleeping positions, check out our video. 
• Wearing shoes that are too tight or unsupportive.
• Drinking too much alcohol.
• Pregnancy.
• Dehydration.
• Poor posture.
• Stress.

Medical conditions that may cause calf cramps at night include kidney failure and diabetes. Some confuse restless legs syndrome (RLS) with nocturnal leg cramps since both happen at night or when your legs are inactive. Restless legs syndrome (a far more serious condition) causes a twitching, tingling sensation in the leg followed by a forceful impulse to move your leg; calf cramps are painful. 

Often, nocturnal calf cramps have no apparent cause.

If night calf cramps disrupt your sleep, you may be tired the next day. Continual sleep disruptions can lead to insomnia.

No Tools? No Problem.

Visit our online shop to buy your Stretching Strap and Osteopressure Tool Set. While you’re there, take a look around. We’ve got lots of pain-relieving products and tools waiting to be added to your cart.

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How to Relieve Nighttime Leg Cramps

To maximize the benefits of our calf cramp routine, exercise intensely and intelligently. Challenge yourself to perform our stretches and Osteopressure at a high intensity that may produce an uncomfortable sensation. (This is a sign that the exercises are working.) However, do not stretch or press to the point that your breaths become short and shallow, or you find that you’re holding your breath or clenching your teeth.