cramp while sleepiing

[WhiteWizard]

does anyone else sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and there leg cramps up its bloody painful does anyone know why this happens and how to stop it from happening.

[Bon]

More water will help since cramps are sometimes caused by dehydration.

More zinc maybe? Some vitamins are supposed to help I think, not sure what.

[Knight_Errant]

This, annoyingly, happens to me when I go hiking. I can hardly move sometimes and sleeping rough doesn't help. If I go on like this, I'll be stiff as a board by the time I'm 30...

[KickChick]

Those night muscle cramps are called a 'charlie horse', are caused by low levels of potassium and also calcium.
... you can take a tsp. of vinegar when suffering from the cramp to quickly bring your potassium level back up and relieve the cramp. ... and of course you can prevent future occurences by taking a potassium & calcium supplement regularly.

[braveheart]

You can also try drinking tonic water that contains quinine. I work in a hospital and have suffered from cramps now and then. I was told by doctors and nurses that it helps.

[KickChick]

...that's right, I remember when I went on the Atkins Diet (not my choice... long story, everyone knows I hate DIETS!!)....
being on this particlar diet had a strong diuretic effect during the first week of induction. When you lose a large amount of water as you do at the begining of any weight- loss program, you also lose electrolytes, which contain the minerals potassium, magnesium and calcium, resulting in leg cramps. To replace these
vitanutrients, salt your food (with Morton lite salt which ishalf sodium chloride and half potassium chloride) to taste and (like I said b4) take a mineral supplement that includes calcium, magnesium and potassium.

...also besides quinine water I heard diet sprite, (the lemon lime type sodas) contains potassium

[Saz]

Banana's have a fair bit of potassium in them. A friend of mine has a potassium deficiency, and she doesn't take tablets, just has 5 banana's a day instead. Ironic thing is she hates banana's, but she forces herself to eat them rather than take a pill... go figure.

[Starboy]

Another cure for this is Quinine Sulfate (I work in a pharmacy). Check with your doc before taking it though, as it's prescription only in the states.

[YODA]

Bananas - Mmmm...........

[Saz]

Quinine is the stuff in Tonic water so drink lots of Gin and Tonic. Either the Quinine will get rid of the cramps, or you'll be too drunk to notice that you're getting them :D

[Rob_InDaUk]

Great advice Kyokushin_girl, I don't get cramps but I may just drink lots of G&T for the fun of it :p

Rob

[Garma]

More often than not, stretching before (as a warm-up) and after (as a cool-down) the daily work-outs or, as Knight mentioned, hiking, or virtually any other straining activity, can decrease you chances of having later muscle cramps, or spasms.

Doesn't tonic water dehydrate, as a soda does? I'm not sure, any info on this would be appreciated.

Thank you all very much.

[wayofnosword]

molasses also contains high amounts of potassium. a good drink is a cup of water mixed with a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses warmed and sipped over the course of a few minutes

[Virtuous]

A anat/phys teacher once told me that sleeping on your stomach with your toes folded down and your ankle extended out against the bed can cause these as well. I use to sleep on my stomach for a long time and would wake up with an occasional charlie horse. I have sinceslept on my side and havent had a reaccurance since.

[Kwajman]

Hey that Gin and Tonic cure might go under the "Preventative Medicine" label. So I wonder how OJ and Vodka would work, please tell me theres potassium in there SOMEWHERE!!!

[Combatant]

I get those nasty cramps after a really brutal MT session. I was always told to have salt. Because of this, whenever I get them I have a packet of crisps. :D

Don't knopw the science but it works. And it tastes good. :Angel:

[Kinjiro Tsukasa]

Originally posted by Kwajman
Hey that Gin and Tonic cure might go under the "Preventative Medicine" label. So I wonder how OJ and Vodka would work, please tell me theres potassium in there SOMEWHERE!!!
Don't oranges have a lot of potassium?