Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Discussion Board

My cousin sent me an article from a doctor's column in a local IL newspaper saying that putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet of the bed at night, in the area of the legs and feet, will stop RLS during the night. I thought it was TOTALLY NUTS, especially when it said that you cannot use Dove or Dial; what difference could that possibly make?! But, what the heck, I had nothing to lose. I cannot believe it but IT WORKS! It says you can use a big or small bar of soap, and new or used. I cannot imagine why it works, but it does. Some ingredient in the soap that Dove and Dial do not have? The "princess-and-the-pea" idea that some irritant in the bed keeps us moving around so that we don't get stiff and static? I just know that I awoke two different nights with twinges and thought, "Oh, heck, it has stopped working!", when I realized that the soap had slipped away from my leg and foot area. As soon as I retrieved it, I fell back to sleep. Go figure!!

Also, a contributor to NightWalkers had said she takes 1000 mcg of Vitamin B-12 in the evenings when she gets twitchy and that has also worked for me!

I am new to this site and was wondering if anyone had ever heard of the soap trick. I am from IL and probably read the same article in the newspaper. I just had to try it like you thinking I was crazy. I felt better from the first night!!! Every few nights when my legs start to hurt again, I think it has stopped working but find my soap has slipped out the end of my sheets. I put the soap back and wake the next morning fine again. Has anyone else tried this method to see if it works for them? Would like to hear any comments.

Amy

Doesn't help me.

Ann

what i want to know is how this was found out originally!!!

did someone spend years putting different utensils like candles, deodorants, toasters, blenders, in their bed etc untill they finally tried soap and hey presto?

Totally does not help me either. Tried it, tried all kinds, even homemade with lavendar. No luck.

Okay, Trev, I'll bite. Here's my fairy-tale story time.

One day, Marcia went to visit her grandmother. She got tired on the way, so she stopped at a small hotel. It was old, dirty, and smelled like cooking turnips! But there wasn't anywhere else to stay. She decided to stay to ensure she didn't run off the road and kill any little bunnies or stray cats.

It smelled so awful that she asked for lots of those little bars of hotel soap. Just like her grandmother used to do, she figured she'd open up the bars and put them into the drawers, her bed, on the couch, and even in the desk drawer. The smell of all that soap would surely make the room smell better.

The next morning Marcia awoke and had never slept so well. ''My," she said, "I didn't have any jimmy legs last night!' I wonder why? I must be all of those open bars of soap!" Marcia tried this at home. She eventually realized she only needed the soap in her bed and her legs would stop.

And that is how Marica started putting soap into her bed at night. The end.

VA - You are too good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for brightening my afternoon.

Hazel

My Mom also heard this and I tried it and it did work for several months, but now it doesn't. I tried a new bar but that didn't work eitherl.

Hi since the soap trick works for you, what brand should I use?

Kjeanlynn, The overall consensus is that the soap idea IS NOT helpful. It is possible that the pressure of the bar of soap in the bed, helps to distract one from the rls sensations. Sometimes keeping the mind focused on something else helps with reducing rls sensations.

For some non pharmaceutical therapies look in the sticky posts in new to rls section - there you will find information on living with RLS. It includes a link to RLS Rebel's website http://www.rlsrebel.com She offers some helpful ideas on coping with RLS without medication.

Hazel

I've tried all kinds of soap - doesn't help me one bit.

ksxroads wrote:Kjeanlynn, The overall consensus is that the soap idea IS NOT helpful. It is possible that the pressure of the bar of soap in the bed, helps to distract one from the rls sensations. Sometimes keeping the mind focused on something else helps with reducing rls sensations.

For some non pharmaceutical therapies look in the sticky posts in new to rls section - there you will find information on living with RLS. It includes a link to RLS Rebel's website http://www.rlsrebel.com She offers some helpful ideas on coping with RLS without medication.

Hazel

Hazel I think it depends on the severity of your rls and whether its primary or secondary if the soap works. So JKjeanlynn should at least try and if it works it works. I have yet to have anything work for me including meds. I have used 7 different meds to try and slow it down and no help so now they are going to try iron but i dont think its going to do much by itself. They basically are telling me that i have had low iron all my life since my rls has been most of it. Who knows. But don't discourage someone to not try something that other rls suffers have tried and it helped them. Good luck to you JK I hope the soap trick works for you as it has with others.

i read of the bar of soap under your sheet for stopping leg cramping at night. It works fantastic for that. I have not had a leg cramp at night in 6 months and I use to be unable to stretch my legs out in bed without awful cramps.

I was compelled to register and post this as I am completely baffled as to why it works and also how well it works. Shortly after prostate surgery I developed RLS, although I didn't know at the time exactly what it was. It struck regularly every night around midnight. If I was asleep, it would wake me up. My legs felt like they were so full of energy that wouldn't dissipate I would have to get up and pace rapidly around the house sometimes for as long as an hour until it subsided. The feeling was like I needed to play a game of soccer to get rid of the energy.

On my next appointment with my urologist I asked him what might be causing this. He guessed it was RLS and since that was no where near his field he recommended some internet research. That was where I ran across "Ivory soap therapy" and the more mainstream drugs used to treat RLS. Zinc supplements sounded like a good idea, but I had run out and at this point I was dreading going to bed. But I did have a fresh bar of Ivory soap. I'm a skeptic by nature, but also a terminal experimenter, so I decided there was nothing to lose by trying the soap. I unwrapped a bar and put it at the bottom of the bed under the fitted sheet, chuckling to myself and thinking "Ya, right"

I fell asleep and the next thing I knew it was morning. I really could not believe it. RLS had been plaguing me every night for almost 3 months. I kept it at the bottom of the bed for the next 5 months and was not once bothered by RLS. I have since removed it and haven't had to resort to it. But if RLS ever reoccurs, it will be right back there.