My new Relaxis

[badnights]

In 1, I am still aware enough to feel the sensations and know I am moving. I try to stay asleep, knowing that it will not work. In REM, I can tell because just as the need to urinate or vomit becomes part of your dream, my movements do. The movements are in my dreams, as is my prone mattress dance. This eventually takes me to stage 1, where I realize I am not going to overpower it and I have to wake up completely.

I don't have it analyzed as well as that, but I know like I know my name that the sensations come while I'm asleep and wake me up.
Oddly enough, I don't dream WED; I was surprised to read of it

A weird thing that's been happening the last year or more is that I wake up to realize I've been sleeping sitting up. Sometimes I drift between a Stage 1 type of awareness (sleeping but aware that I'm sleeping) and something deeper. Often, in the asleep-but-aware state, I sort of know I'm sitting up, but it confuses and frustrates me - I know something is off, and I feel a mental restlessness, like I want to do something about it but can't muster the brain tissue to think it out. I think that happens when I've been sitting up for a while. Other times I don't think I'm sitting up long before I wake up. Sometimes I wake up as I'm falling over (always in time to catch myself, so far).

[Stainless]

Is there anyone out there with severe RLS that does not think they would have PLMS without or in my case with even with medication. I don't see the difference except some have not been through a sleep study.

[badnights]

I think it's hard to tell if you have PLMS by yourself - you need a bed partner who can tell you that you're kicking, or a video of yourself sleeping. But published information on sleep studies say that there are lots of people who have RLS/WED and no significant PLMS. They're not a majority but they're not uncommon.

[Polar Bear]

I believe that I don't have significant PLMS. My husband says he has never noticed it.
There was a time when I used to have random jerks (while awake) which made me wonder but a reduction in Tramadol sorted that.

[Bjorn]

I'm finding out all kinds of things on this forum. I'm interested in Relaxis, but I was surprised to find out it was available by prescription only. It looks like it would work for RLS in the legs and thighs, but probably not for the arms? It doesn't look as though it could be used that way. I get RLS in my legs, but the symptoms in my arms are much worse.

[legsbestill]

I'm not sure that it wouldn't work for arms also. It's not completely reliable for anything but the theory as I understand it is that the impulses it causes to be sent through your body effectively counteract the RLS urge-to-move impulses so I don't see that it wouldn't work for arms as well as legs. My understanding is that it isn't all that important which part of your body is in contact with the Relaxis just so long as some part is so that the counteracting stimulation enters your body from the device. Am using it as I type - I find it particularly good if I go back to bed during the day for breakthrough day time symptoms and I do get these mildly in my trunk as well as my legs. Relaxis seems to soothe all.

I am sorry to keep reiterating the same information - I would highly recommend the Relaxis if it wasn't so expensive. I love mine but for me at least it is never going to more than a supplementary means of controlling RLS. It will not for example replace meds (if it did, I would recommend it regardless of price). What it is great for is when symptoms strike when you are not due to take meds or have taken the full amount of daily meds and are still getting break-throughs. It is wonderful to have something to turn to at that point. And sometimes it really works - other times it just provides hope and a soothing presence.