Restless Legs Syndrome Causes and Solutions for Nighttime Leg Discomfort

Hello. This is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. # I feel itchy and numb in my legs when I lie down to sleep. The real cause and solution for the leg discomfort that comes every night. Have you ever spent a night when you were lying in bed after a hard day's work, waiting to fall asleep, but suddenly felt an unpleasant sensation like tingling, numbness, or aching in your legs, making it impossible to endure without moving your legs? Many people complain of "feeling itchy and numb in my legs when I lie down to sleep" and dismiss it as simple fatigue or a blood circulation problem, but if these symptoms repeat, you can suspect "Restless Legs Syndrome." The leg discomfort that starts the moment you go to bed can interfere with sleep and lead to extreme fatigue and a decrease in quality of life the next day. 💡 **Key Answer** The 3 most common causes of **"feeling itchy and numb in my legs when I lie down to sleep"**: ① **Autonomic imbalance** / ② **Dopamine system abnormality** / ③ **Iron deficiency** Dalimchae Clinic resolves the root cause of leg discomfort by restoring the balance of the brain and nervous system through autonomic stabilization treatment. ## Are you curious why your legs feel itchy and numb every time you go to bed? Restless Legs Syndrome is a neurological disease accompanied by a strong urge to move the legs along with various unpleasant sensations such as the feeling of insects crawling on the legs, aching, and numbness. Especially, symptoms worsen when staying still or taking a rest, and have the characteristic of being temporarily relieved when moving. These symptoms appear prominently in the evening or at night and become the main cause of interfering with deep sleep. Although the exact cause has not been clearly revealed, abnormalities in the brain's dopamine system and iron deficiency are cited as major causes. Especially, recent studies are revealing that autonomic nervous system imbalance is deeply involved in the occurrence and aggravation of Restless Legs Syndrome. Subtle cracks in the nervous system can be the beginning of discomfort that breaks the peace of the night. ## Restless Legs Syndrome may be due to 'autonomic imbalance', not just simple leg fatigue. Many people experience Restless Legs Syndrome but consider it trivial or think of it only as a blood circulation problem, thus missing the appropriate treatment time. However, Restless Legs Syndrome is closely related to brain nervous system dysfunction, and autonomic nervous system imbalance is particularly pointed out as an important factor that worsens symptoms. A study published in 2020 evaluated autonomic function in 52 patients with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and 40 healthy controls. As a result of the study, significant differences were found in RLS patients during heart rate variability (RRIV) analysis at rest, during deep breathing, and during the Valsalva maneuver (p=0.037, p=0.049, p=0.017, p=0.020), and the total score of the autonomic nervous system function evaluation questionnaire (SCOPA-AUT) was also significantly higher for RLS patients, recording an average of 20.7 ± 10 points compared to the control group (14.2 ± 8 points) (p=0.003). This suggests that general autonomic dysfunction including gastrointestinal, urinary, and cardiovascular areas is commonly accompanied in Restless Legs Syndrome patients. Also, a study to be published in 2025 reported that Restless Legs Syndrome patients showed decreased sympathetic and parasympathetic responses even in an awake state and dulling of parasympathetic activity to blood pressure changes, and showed higher sympathetic activity even at rest compared to the control group. This shows that Restless Legs Syndrome is not just a problem of the legs, but is deeply related to the hypersensitive state of the autonomic nervous system that reacts sensitively to stress and tension. Based on these data, Dalimchae Clinic does not see Restless Legs Syndrome simply as a leg problem, but focuses on autonomic stabilization treatment that stabilizes the overheated nervous system and restores whole-body balance. ## How does Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch treat the symptom of itchy and numb legs when lying down to sleep? Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch diagnoses Restless Legs Syndrome as a problem due to an imbalance of the brain and autonomic nervous system and focuses on treating its fundamental cause. Our body's autonomic nervous system regulates all body functions with the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system in balance, like a car's accelerator and brake. However, modern people's chronic stress, irregular lifestyle habits, and excessive thoughts break the balance of the autonomic nervous system, creating a state where the brain cannot rest and is overactivated. This 'overheated brain' reacts sensitively even to trivial sensory signals and can lead to Restless Legs Syndrome, which worsens at night. Our Dalimchae Clinic's autonomic stabilization treatment focuses on lowering the heat of the nervous system and creating an environment where the brain can rest. In Korean medicine, this is called 'Suseunghwagang (水昇火降).' By restoring the body's natural circulation of keeping the head cool and the lower abdomen warm, we relax the excessively hyperactive sympathetic nervous system and help the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Through this, we restore the stability of the brain and nervous system and create a body state where you can fall asleep comfortably without leg discomfort. In fact, Korean medicine treatment has shown significant effects in improving the symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome patients. In a retrospective chart analysis study by the Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital research team to be published in 2025, as a result of administering herbal medicine including Paeoniae Radix to 15 Restless Legs Syndrome patients, the Korean version of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Scale (K-IRLS) score significantly decreased from an average of 23.00 points before treatment to 13.93 points after treatment (P = 0.005). Especially, 93.3% of patients experienced a decrease in symptom discomfort and showed an average improvement rate of 44.7%. Also, in a 2021 domestic Korean medicine treatment case report, as a result of administering Dangguijakyak-san and Shihogyeji-tang for 47 days to a 72-year-old female patient suffering from chronic Restless Legs Syndrome, RLS symptoms completely disappeared and sleep time significantly increased from 2 hours to 9 hours, and there was no recurrence of symptoms for 244 days after stopping treatment. These research results suggest that Dalimchae Clinic's autonomic stabilization treatment can be an effective solution for patients suffering from Restless Legs Syndrome. Our Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch restores the balance of the autonomic nervous system through complex Korean medicine treatments such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, pharmacopuncture, and Chuna therapy tailored to each patient's constitution and symptoms. This can also be helpful for those who complain of insomnia, headache, or dizziness. ## Self-diagnosis checklist for you suffering from leg discomfort every night Check if any of the following questions apply to you. * I feel a strong urge to move my legs. (Sometimes it's the arms or torso.) * Accompanied by unpleasant sensations such as insects crawling on the legs, aching, numbness, and pulling. * Symptoms get worse when resting without moving, such as sitting or lying down. * Symptoms are temporarily relieved by moving the legs, such as walking or stretching. * Symptoms mainly start or worsen in the evening or at night. * It's hard to fall asleep or I wake up frequently because of leg symptoms, and I feel fatigue during the day. * These leg symptoms are not explained by other diseases (muscle pain, arthritis, varicose veins, etc.). **Judgment criteria:** * **If 3 or more apply:** You can suspect Restless Legs Syndrome due to autonomic imbalance. It is recommended to receive a detailed consultation at Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch. * **If 5 or more apply:** There is a high possibility of moderate or higher Restless Legs Syndrome accompanied by sleep disorders. It is necessary to improve symptoms and restore quality of life through active complex Korean medicine treatment. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch is a Songdo Restless Legs Syndrome Korean medicine clinic and is always making efforts to make your nights peaceful again. ## FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Restless Legs Syndrome **Q. How long should Restless Legs Syndrome be treated?** A. The treatment period for Restless Legs Syndrome can vary depending on the severity of the individual's symptoms, the cause of onset, and chronicity. Usually, symptoms significantly improve through intensive treatment for about 2-3 months, and a management period for recurrence prevention may be needed afterward. Dalimchae Clinic presents a customized treatment plan according to the patient's condition. **Q. Can Restless Legs Syndrome also be treated with Korean medicine?** A. Yes, Korean medicine treatment is effective in alleviating symptoms and solving the root cause of Restless Legs Syndrome. Herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, and pharmacopuncture contribute to reducing discomfort and increasing sleep quality by restoring autonomic balance and improving nervous system functions, such as helping to regulate the brain's dopamine system. **Q. Can Restless Legs Syndrome heal naturally?** A. In cases of mild Restless Legs Syndrome or those caused by specific reasons (pregnancy, temporary iron deficiency, etc.), it may improve naturally, but most cases become chronic and are difficult to get better on their own. If neglected, secondary problems such as insomnia, depression, and chronic fatigue can occur, so it is important to receive help from a specialist if symptoms persist. **Q. I have both Restless Legs Syndrome and insomnia, can they be treated together?** A. Yes, Restless Legs Syndrome is one of the main causes of insomnia, and the two diseases are closely related. Dalimchae Clinic's autonomic stabilization treatment helps improve not only the leg discomfort caused by Restless Legs Syndrome but also the insomnia caused by it at the same time. Restless Legs Syndrome is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring your symptoms exactly as they are. At Dalimchae Clinic, we will find the cause together. Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first! This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Brain/Autonomic Nervous System Treatment Standards Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Min Jihong (Autonomic Dysfunction Column)