Vibrating Bed?

Kimberly · Post by **Kimberly** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:25 am

Anyone here remember the old 'magic fingers' vibrating beds that used to be found in motels? Has anyone tried it for RLS/PLMW?

My PLMW jerking is so severe that it prevents the onset of sleep. I spend my entire night doing repetitive PURPOSEFUL movement (rocking, walking, shaking legs, etc.) in order to stay awake trying to prevent the onset of the UNCONTROLLED movement of RLS/PLMW. It is absolutely exhausting! I've said before, it's almost as if my brain triggers a 'flight' response to the onset of sleep. I sleep when I finally pass out after 10-12 hours of torture.

I'm curious to know if anyone has found that a vibrating bed gives them the same relief as the exhausting effort of PURPOSEFUL movement?

I'm desperately looking for alternatives to medication and am currently going untreated. I'm tired of docs trying every kind of med to put me to sleep in spite of the movement...when all I need is for the movement to stop and I'll sleep just fine. I've been fighting this for 30 years....as of yet, no meds stop my movement (PLMW) and, with the exception of anesthesia, I've been unable to be put to sleep inspite of the movement.

Post by **Chipmunk** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 4:01 am

You could see if you could find a motel near you that has a vibrating bed, although you'd need someone there to keep feeding the thing quarters... :-P

They sell devices for cribs that vibrate it like you are taking the baby for a car ride--perhaps something like that would work?

Post by **Polar Bear** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:33 am

Sorry you are in such diffs Kimberley.

A point of note - I tried using a tens machine setting the controls at a pretty high level, hoping the 'controlled' electrical impulses would override the wed/rls creepy crawlies (not PLMS).

Not a bit of it ........ I could feel the symptoms ongoing behind the stimulation from the tens machine.

Post by **badnights** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:38 am

On the other hand this is PLMs you have, and another poster on this board has had success with using a TENS to control PLM in sleep. Might be worth a try. Maybe search the forum (her name is sleepdancer) because I think she wrote how she positions the electrodes. (It's a fairly simple machine, if you're not familiar with it). Probably she will also reply to this.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:53 am

As Badnights says, the machine is very simple to use and is cheap enough to be worth a try. Mine cost £25 from Amazon. I use it for sore neck and back, did not buy it specifically for WED symptoms.