I remain very active and workout 5 times a week. Doing my workouts at 5am is best for me as I am usually up at 0330 am.
Brady,
Maybe you need to reschedule your workouts.
As I mentioned in response to another of your posts, I have a spinal cord injury that bestowed me with years of aggravating pain. To help alleviate the deficit, I have performed a 20-30 minute exercise regimen near daily for the last twenty-five years. Much of the regimen has been to strengthen the lower back, but a portion of it I adopted to help control weight and exercise my cardiovascular system. This includes push-ups, of which I generally do 80 to 100.
I learned early on with RLS, which I've had less than three years, that performing 80 push-ups was an aid to transcending RLS to slumberland. Ocassionaly, the sinemet is ineffective and I resort to the push-ups. Very rarely, I might have to perform three sets of 80 push-ups in a thirty minute interval to gain a foothold on sleep. Usually one set is effective. The push-ups really get my heart pounding and my respiration deep and rapid.
Now, a couple of weeks ago I noticed after arising, and sleeping well, that my sinemet pill was lying on the counter. "Whoa," I thought. "I forgot to take the durned thing. So, I've continued to refrain from taking the sinemet since, 'cept for one night where the symptoms were troubling. For whatever reason, I've been fairly free of RLS symptoms recently.
However, last night the symptoms were bothersome in the evening while watching television. Nonetheless, I refrained from the sinemet. But I did perform some pre-emptory calesthenics not including push-ups prior to bed to moderately elevate my respiration. After about fifteen minutes with sleep being elusive from jumpy legs, I got on the floor and did the push-ups. After my respiration returned to normal, I was asleep in minutes.
My preliminary unscientific deduction is that a moderate elevation of pulse-rate and respiration are ineffectual, while an intense elevation of same peforms some beneficial chemistry change which countereffects the RLS symptoms.
I present this lengthy response to your post, because I recognize that it is a small proportion of society that routinely exercises. Since you are one, perhaps you might consider experimenting with intense respiratory elevation prior to bedtime to see if it has a beneficial effect on you as well.
Mind you, immediately following the push-ups the RLS symptoms go absolutely nuts until the respiration returns to normal. Then, usually, all is well. At least for me. YMMV (Your mileage may vary.)
Neph