Sleepwalking Leg Syndrome

| This sleep disorder is most common in women, persons with rheumatoid arthritis, people who are iron deficient or persons who are in kidney failure. It affects less than 4% of the population.

Restless legs syndrome is a neurological sleep disorder that makes you want to move you legs. Those who have restless leg syndrome get very little rest at night because rest increases this urge to move the legs.

Such patients endure a long list of sleep issues including insomnia, alpha wave intrusions, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome.

Sleepwalking most often occurs at a certain point in the sleep "architecture" (6).This is the point where the sleeper's brain waves have become larger and he or she has moved into deeper sleep. This is not REM sleep, but deep non-REM sleep. The series of complex behaviors characterizing somnambulism includes "amnesia following an episode," and "difficulty in arousing the patient during an episode" (9). The patient can also have other REM disorders or psychiatric and medical disorders which do not account for the sleepwalking. While sleepwalking, the patients' brainwaves show a mixture of types of brainwave patterns, including ones similar to those observed in waking patients, as well as those found in deep sleep. It is the "awake" patterns which match the waking behaviors like walking and talking while the patient is still asleep enough so that he or she is not aware of what it happening and is not forming memories of their actions (3).

Throughout my Navy career, I was seen by Navy doctors for trouble with sleeping at night. It was first reported when I was on sea duty (place a date here). I thought it was due to the watch standing rotation hours while out at sea, 12 hours on and 12 hours off. When I transferred from sea duty to shore duty, I noticed that nothing changed with my ability to stay asleep at night. I can easily fall asleep however it’s staying asleep that cause me problems. Every morning between the hours of 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM is when I would wake up because I began to have burning sensations in both legs. Once I woke up, it will take me at least an hour to fall back to sleep. Sometimes I’m unable to go back to sleep because my mind start racing, thinking about all kind of things, from work, to prior service events, and even childhood memories. I also experience issues when I get out of bed every morning the heels of my feet are numb and after walking on my toes for a minute or two the feeling seems to go away. After I noticed my symptoms begin to worsen I decided that I needed to return to the doctor for further evaluation, the doctor finally

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sensorimotor neurologic disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, often associated with discomfort and/or dysesthesias. Recently, several large epidemiologic studies,1–4 though not all,5,6 have demonstrated RLS is associated with cardiovascular disease, with greatest risk among those who have more frequent symptoms3,7 and an RLS diagnosis for ≥ 3 years.1 Despite these findings, few have investigated the physiologic pathways by which RLS may elevate cardiovascular risk. Previous studies have focused on the cardiovascular alterations that coincide with periodic leg movements of sleep (PLMS),8–11 which are present in > 80% of patients with RLS.

The above case study is not an abnormal description of what a person suffering from REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) goes

Mr. Zimmer is referred over from sick call for complaints of restless legs syndrome. Reports initial diagnosis approximately 15 years ago treated with multiple different medications over the years to help manage his symptoms. Stopped taking medications in approximately 2012 as he reports he was able to get more exercise which relieved his symptoms. Now that he is at a higher level of custody, he is not able to get out as much and his symptoms are increasing. Would like to talk about possibly restarting medication. Reports the best relief in the past with gabapentin had side effect of ringing in the ears with Dilantin. Current symptoms are itching, burning, and feeling the need to frequently move

Sleepwalking is commonly seen in older children. It ranges from getting out of bed to prolonged and complex actions. "Sleepwalking occurs relatively often among children; one can even cause it intentionally simply by picking up a child or adult in deep sleep and standing them on their feet" Borbely (1986). In adults, sleepwalking could indicate a personality disturbance. For instance, a good amount of adults that sleepwalk are suffering from depression. It is thought that this condition is hereditary and can be brought on by stress, also by not getting enough sleep or a high fever.

Third, restless leg syndrome (RLS) also is a common sleep disorder. RLS is a neurological disorder that makes someone want to move their legs persistently. In some cases, body parts are persistent as well during sleep. Restless leg syndrome is considered a sleep disorder because whenever the constant need to shake the legs, it can make it hard to maintain sleep and the ability to get to sleep. One of the most common side effects reported that is related to RLS is sleep loss. Sleep lose can lead to diminished quality of life, sleepiness during the day, loss of memory, depression and many other symptoms.

Sleep paralysis is a common condition with a prevalence of 5-62%, although most affected people have single or infrequent episodes (Dahlitz). Occasionally sleep paralysis is found to run in a family, and it can be associated with other disorders of hypersomnia, such as sleep apnea (Becker 81). Narcolepsy has also been linked with sleep paralysis; both are thought to be REM sleep disorders (Siegel). Gender and race do not seem to be a factor of risk for this disorder. The episodes of sleep paralysis seem to range from ages 5-35 (Dahlitz). The use of anxiolytic medicines, psychiatric disorders and high anxiety can also contribute to sleep paralysis (Larkin).

Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, belongs to a group of parasomnias. This disorder of arousal is characterized by complex motor behaviors initiated during stages 3 and 4 of non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep (slow-wave sleep) (3). Behaviors during sleepwalking episodes can vary greatly. Some episodes are limited to sitting up, fumbling and getting dressed, while others include more complex behaviors such as walking, driving a car, or preparing a meal (2). After awakening, the sleepwalker usually has no recollection of what has happened and may appear confused and disoriented. The behaviors performed while sleepwalking are said to be autonomous automatisms. These are nonrelfex actions performed without conscious volition and

It has a higher incidence in people who have other sleep disorders already - especially sleepwalking (it can occur during sleepwalking), restless leg syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. It is seen more commonly in women - probably because of their tendency to “diet” more frequently

This type of disorders is classify as simple, always repeated movements during sleep or awake which can interrupt the sleep of the patient, the patient's bed partner, or both. Bruxism is a familiar disorder that related with sleep-related movement disorders.

RLS manifests as an uncomfortable sensation in the legs and creates the urge to move the legs around to escape the discomforting sensation. The legs are primarily affected, but the arms and other areas of the body may also be affected as well. Approximately 10% of the population is affected