Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological sensory-motor disorder that is characterized by intense restlessness and unpleasant creeping sensations deep inside the lower legs.

Symptoms appear when the legs are at rest and are worst in the evening and at night. They force patients to keep moving their legs, and often to get out of bed and wander about.

RLS leads to sensations in the lower legs that make you uncomfortable unless you move your legs. These sensations:

• Usually occur at night when you lie down, or sometimes during the day when you sit for long periods of time.

• May be described as creeping, crawling, aching, pulling, searing, tingling, bubbling, or crawling.

• May last for 1 hour or longer.

• Sometimes also occur in the upper leg, feet, or arms.

You may feel an irresistible urge to walk or move your legs, which almost always relieves the discomfort.

Most patients have rhythmic leg movements during sleep hours, called periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).

All of these symptoms often disturb sleep. Symptoms can make it difficult to sit during air or car travel, or through classes or meetings.

As many as 10 percent of the U.S. population may have RLS.  Several studies have shown that moderate to severe RLS affects approximately 2-3 percent of adults (more than 5 million individuals). (Source: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

An additional 5 percent appears to be affected by a milder form. Childhood RLS is estimated to affect almost 1 million school-age children, with one-third having moderate to severe symptoms. (Source: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Some people with RLS will not seek medical attention, believing that they will not be taken seriously, that their symptoms are too mild, or that their condition is not treatable. Some physicians wrongly attribute the symptoms to nervousness, insomnia, stress, arthritis, muscle cramps, or aging.