Periodic limb movement disorder
When President Barack Obama developed a facial tic under his right eye in 2008, he confessed that there were a lot of things keeping him up at night, but the tic was not one of them. Such a small twitch is often unnoticeable to the person experiencing it.
That wouldn't have been the case if he'd had periodic limb movement disorder - a larger twitch that causes spontaneous movement of the hips, legs, ankles and sometimes arms. This condition, the one movement disorder that happens ONLY during sleep, affects 34 percent of those over age 60. PLMD is "periodic" because the movements happen every 20 to 40 seconds, and is considered a sleep disorder because it can cause daytime fatigue in you and in your bedmate!
Experiencing symptoms of PLMD may indicate that you have deficiencies in neurotransmitters such as dopamine, or problems with the nerves running from the brain to the limbs. PLMD also is associated with medication use, anemia, kidney problems, sleep apnea, diabetes and spinal cord injury.
To ease the twitching, you can try taking a dopamine or GABA agonist that makes certain neurotransmitters more available to your system. Anti-seizure meds also are used. Make sure you get as much physical activity as possible (10,000 steps a day) and have a blood test to see if you're low on potassium, magnesium or iron. Also review your medications with your pharmacist or doctor to make sure they're not triggering PLMD. You can get relief and a better night's sleep.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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