You’re exhausted. You crawl into bed. You start to relax…and then – boom – that horrible twitching, irritable feeling in your legs, as if your calves are suffering from anxiety, starts happening. There’s no way to get comfortable with restless leg syndrome.
Or, you’ve gone to sleep and are dreaming pleasant dreams when – boom! – a leg cramp (charley horse) makes you sit up and scream.
Magnesium to the rescue! You see, there’s an entire chemical process that happens each time you move your leg. And remember, even when you’re asleep, your legs move.
First, your brain sends an electrical signal to your leg muscles that tells them to let Calcium inside your cells. When Calcium enters, your muscles clench. All as it should be.
But when your muscles are ready to relax, your cells need Magnesium to push the Calcium out.
When you have more Calcium than Magnesium in your cells, excess Calcium gets stuck inside your cell wall creating a near constant state of clenching – which you experience as muscle cramps.
Here’s a quick illustration of the important role Magnesium plays in calming restless legs and soothing cramps:
