How to Handle Children With Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless leg syndrome is a condition that causes one or both legs to continually move or vibrate. It's challenging for children with RLS to sit still for long periods. Doctors are unsure what causes RLS, but they know how to treat it. However, your child's age may limit some treatments.

Things You'll Need

• Heating pad
• Ice bag

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Instructions

• 1

  Change your child's sleep schedule. Fatigue will make his symptoms worse. Push his bedtime back a half hour to see if his condition improves. Call your doctor if his symptoms remain the same.

• 2

  Start your child on a moderate exercise program. Talk with her doctor about what type of exercises she can do and how to incorporate the program into her daily activities. Allow her to exercise for only a limited time because excessive exercise makes RLS symptoms worse.

• 3

  Give your child a bath in the morning and right before he goes to bed. Hot or cold water can relieve RLS symptoms temporarily. Apply a heating pad or ice bag to one or both of his legs to control his daytime symptoms.

• 4

  Gently massage her legs until you feel her RLS movements abate. Stretch her legs when she first wakes up and just before she goes to bed. Keep her legs limber and active to prevent RLS from flaring.

• 5

  Plan occasional breaks in your child's day to prevent his being confined for too long. Allow time for walks around your neighborhood in the morning and the afternoon. Also plan breaks during extended car trips to allow him to get up and stretch his legs.

• 6

  Make sure your child stays off her bed during the day. Tell her to only use it when she goes to sleep for the evening. Keep her energy level up by taking walks instead of taking naps.

• 7

  Ask your doctor to prescribe your child medication as a last resort. Drugs such as levodopa or dopamine agonists can reduce night-time RLS symptoms. Clonidine, a high blood-pressure medication, can also be used to treat RLS.