RLS tests & Jill's concentration tip

[JZ]

I would like some one with RLS to do two simple tests for me.

Test 1: Relax and lie still on a bed. Put a clock, a watch or a timer near you that you can see. Count each second in your mind until you start to have that RLS feeling in your body. Write down the time count (to see how many seconds you need to trigger that RLS feeling). During the test, please do not move your body; Control your attention to the time count only.

Test 2: Same as test 1, except that you do not count the time, instead, thinking of moving your body. The key part for the second test is that you think of moving your legs without real movement. For example: picture yourself dancing with some one in a ball room and pay attention to how to move your legs (left leg forward one step, right leg forward one step and then turn etc…). Stop the test when RLS feeling occurred. Write down the time count.

Compare your results to see if any difference between them.

Let me know what you find. Thanks.

******

Based on Jill Gunzel's "concentration tip", imaging body movement can restrain RLS. In my opinion, this coping tip can be one of the best methods to overcome the sleep thief without pharmaceutical medicine if you could master it. I'll quote her tip below:

"CONCENTRATION TIP
When you are trying to get to sleep, and trying to overpower the sensations in your legs by concentrating hard on something, try concentrating on something that involves leg movements. This idea came to me after reading a letter from another RLS sufferer. He imagined a marching band going by...imagining the music, the instruments, and the hundreds of marching legs going by. He said it was as if the people in the band were marching for HIS legs.

I took this idea and decided to try concentrating on dancing. I'd taken up clogging, which is similar to tap dancing or Irish dancing. I found that I could go over a dance in my head, hearing the music and count out the beats while I imagined my feet doing the steps. The hard part is to keep focused. Everytime my mind wanders, I go back to the beginning and try to get further through the dance. I usually fall asleep by the third time through the dance.

I would guess that you could do the same thing with imagining a bike ride or a jog through your town. Start from home, picturing your driveway, street, houses, signs, etc. If your mind wanders, start back at your front door and imagine it all again. Hum a marching tune in your head, and imagine your legs walking, jogging, or just pounding the pavement as you go.

THE IMPORTANT thing about this tip is to imagine something that involves leg movements. We know that physical activity and mental work, so if you combine the two you'll have a great therapy for your RLS attacks. "

http://members.cox.net/gunzel/conlegs.html

[ksxroads]

JZ, concentration was very effective in helping me deal with my rls sensations. Unfortunately, once I quit, the sensations would start immediately. It was not even concentrating on movement ie thinking of dancing ... I could lie on the couch with the tv on mute and read the captions... not even remembering what the words were ... as long as my mind is focused on something else, the leg sensations would subside.

Love the idea to test ... but frankly I am reluctant to lie down and count! Once the sensations begin, it is very difficult for them to be managed. Sorry! Hazel

[JZ]

Hi Hazel, thanks for your reply.

You are right that the sensations would start immediately once the concentration is relaxed. However, I believe this "concentration tip" could be a very useful tool for people who have difficulty to fall asleep due to RLS. The purpose of this tip is to restrain the intrusion of RLS sensation long enough so that RLS sufferer could fall asleep.

Now, I have two questions that aroused from your reply. First, you stated that: "I could lie on the couch with the tv on mute and read the captions... not even remembering what the words were ... as long as my mind is focused on something else, the leg sensations would subside." If I interpreted you right, it should not have any obvious difference between the results of the test 1 and test 2, since reading the captions from the TV (in mind) should be equivalent to counting time in mind. Or in another word, as soon as the brain is concentrating on some thing, for example, counting sheep, the RLS sensation would subside. Am I right?

Second, you said "Once the sensations begin, it is very difficult for them to be managed." How long does it usually take for a relief to occur when you start to move your legs?

Thanks again.

[RLJames]

Counting sheep never worked for my RLS or insomnia. The problem for me is once I started falling asleep, the urge to move comes right back and wakes me up. I start counting sheep again, doze off, urge comes back. The cycle continues and pretty soon, its time to get up.

[jrowley]

That would work great if you had mild rls but i have 10.5 movements /hr during sleep and who knows how many when awake so counting or thinking of something else has no effect on me. I have already tried to do this but cant keep my mind off the pain and electrical sensation i have when my legs take a huge jerk into the air. Anyway good luck for anyone that it does help.

Hazel I have tried that with the tv thing like you and its a no help for me. I still start to jerk away. Getting to be a pain for me I am so tired of being sleepy all the time.

[bbdeezy]

i didnt do this as a times test but since i am at point where i am willing to try anything at all ..............i tried this and the past 2 days............IT WORKED FOR ME!!! and i have a sever case of rls in legs and arms 24/7.I guess the power of the mind works in so many other aspects why wouldnt it work for this but i will keep u updated on how its going.I actually got over 5 hours sleep last night and even got in a good 2 naps today that was much needed. so thanks for the tip!!!!!!!

[jrowley]

It's interesting to me when ppl say they got sleep. I often wonder if they really got sleep or if their eyes were shut. Cuz with me I don't get any sleep to speak of. Reason why is because I jerk every 6 mins = 10.5/hr. For every jerk I have my brain wakes up so therefore even though my eyes are closed and I think I'm sleeping my brain isn't. That is why we are so tired even when we think were sleeping. If your brain can not get to rem sleep and stay that way for at least half of your sleep then your not rested. Well in my case I barely if ever make it to rem sleep therefore even if my eyes are closed I am still not getting adiquate sleep. Good luck to you all with this but are you truely sleeping? If you have plmd with your rls I doubt you are.

[JZ]

RLS, in my opinion, is caused by triggering a brain mechanism, which supposed to be evolved for supporting sleep. This mechanism should only be turned on when brain has none or very low movement related activities, for example, in NREM (non rapid eye movement) sleep. When this mechanism, however, is mistakenly activated while awake, the non-conscious brain will randomly generate a pulse-like movement command to our body. Since this movement related command is against our conscious will, it leads to these uncomfortable RLS sensations. However, we can, in theory, turn off or avoid triggering this mechanism, if we voluntarily move our body or consciously generate movement thoughts.

To RLJames:
I agree with your post "Counting sheep never worked for my RLS or insomnia". In the "test one", counting time (same as counting sheep) doesn't activate the part of brain that controls motor movement, but only distracts attention away from the sensation. Therefore, it should not stop the RLS sensation intruding into our consciousness. However, the second test directly generates body movement thoughts which should help to avoid the activation of this mechanism that generates the RLS sensation.

To bbdeezy:
I am glad to know that this tip worked for you. You can tell that it also worked for Jill Gunzel and another RLS sufferer based on the info from her web.

To jrowley (Jan):
To have a good sleep, one has to be able to 1) fall asleep and 2) maintain asleep. RLS causes difficulty for the first one and PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder) for the second one. According to your post, you have at least PLMD (as you stated that "I jerk every 6 mins = 10.5/hr"). Anyway, the tip mentioned above is only intended to help people to coping RLS for falling asleep, not for maintaining asleep (PLMD). Although RLS and PLMD are, in my opinion, spring from the very same mechanism, the causes are different. PLMD occurs during NREM sleep in which this mechanism that I mentioned above is supposed to be turned on by "design". However, normal people do not feel these jerks in NREM asleep because they have a lowered muscle tone. My understanding is that PLMD occurs when this lowered muscle tone is lacking.

[jrowley]

To jz i have both rls and plmd i have trouble falling asleep and have jerking must move sensations before and during sleep. I also are one of the lucky dogs who have rls most of the day happens while driving while working at my desk or just sitting in a chair watching tv. So yes I can make the remark on sleep cuz i have experienced the situation for several years and counting sheep or any other method does not work for me at all. And yes you need to go through nrem before you get to rem however you will never get rested good until you reach rem where you get your beneficail sleep well for most ppl with rls they never make it to rem sleep this also applies to ppl with plmd too as most ppl do not have plmd without having rls too. There are very few that aquire just the plmd. For the mechinisam yes there is one in your brain its called dopamine low levels cause rls/plmd that is the reason for dopamine agents in hopes to raise the levels so the disease will subside.

[RLJames]

Neither method works for me. Like Jan, I have RLS all day long and the problem is falling asleep at night. The urge to move is just too much that I can't even go beyond Stage I! How can you get to REM and then NREM without going through Stage I first? My RLS just would not let me pass through Stage I no matter how hard I concentrate on dancing in the ballroom, skating on ice or bicycling through the French Alps.

JZ, do you have RLS and does this work for you?