Leg cramps at night

Category: Muscles, Bones & Joints · All muscles & joints symptoms

What it can feel like

Leg cramps at night are sudden, painful calf or foot contractions that wake you from sleep, forcing you to stretch or stand before they release. They become commoner with age and in pregnancy, and while usually harmless, they wreck sleep and are worth optimising.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Night cramps can be associated with age-related changes in muscle and nerves, daytime overexertion, dehydration, pregnancy, and medicines such as diuretics and statins.

Other possible causes

Night cramps can also be associated with low blood salts, thyroid disease, diabetes-related nerve changes, kidney disease, and narrowed leg arteries — worth checking when cramps are very frequent or joined by other symptoms.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

Cramps with dark urine or severe lingering muscle pain
Night cramps with leg swelling, redness or a one-sided painful calf — could be a clot
Cramps together with progressive leg weakness or numbness
Cramps that begin after starting dialysis or with vomiting and diarrhoea

What a clinician may do

A clinician will review medicines and pattern, examine the legs and circulation, and arrange blood tests for salts, calcium, kidney and thyroid function when cramps are frequent. Nightly calf-stretching before bed is the best-supported simple measure.

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Frequently asked questions

How are night cramps different from restless legs?

A cramp is a painful, hard, visible contraction you must physically stretch out. Restless legs is an uncomfortable urge to move the legs, relieved by moving them, without a locked muscle. They need different treatments, so the distinction matters.

Do stretching exercises really prevent them?

A programme of calf stretches held for about ten seconds each, repeated before bed, reduced cramp frequency in trials of older adults — modest but real, and free of side effects, which is why it is usually tried first.

Related symptoms — Muscles, Bones & Joints

A joint that locks or gives way Aching and stiffness in the shoulders and hips Aching muscles Ankle pain Back pain Elbow pain

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.