Things that make RLS worse

Restless legs can be worsened by a number of everyday things. None are guaranteed triggers for everyone, but they are common enough to know about, and some are easy to change.

Medications and substances

Several widely used medications can aggravate RLS. Common ones include certain antihistamines (the sedating, older kind found in many sleep and cold products), a number of antidepressants, some anti-nausea drugs, and some medications for blood pressure or allergies. Do not stop a prescribed medication on your own, but it is reasonable to ask your doctor whether something on your list could be contributing.

Food, drink, and habits

• Caffeine, especially later in the day.
• Alcohol, which many people find worsens symptoms at night.
• Nicotine.
• Low iron, the reason iron testing matters so much.

Sleep and routine

Being short on sleep tends to worsen RLS, which is difficult because RLS itself disrupts sleep. Irregular schedules and long periods of enforced stillness, such as a long flight, a movie, or a car ride, can also set it off.

Finding your triggers

Rather than changing everything at once, it can help to notice patterns: keep a rough note of bad nights and what preceded them. Sometimes one removable trigger is doing much of the damage. When something is prescribed, changes go through your doctor.