Nighttime leg cramps are pain that occurs during sleep. They can awaken a person and occur at night due to prolonged inactivity. Nighttime cramps most commonly affect the calf, but can also cause pain in the thighs and feet. This pain can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. Once the cramp passes, the muscle pain can persist throughout the night and into the next day. Leg cramps can affect both men and women and are more common in adults over 50.

Nighttime leg cramps are not restless legs syndrome.

Nighttime leg cramps and restless legs syndrome both occur during sleep, but that’s their only similarity. There are many differences between these two conditions: Restless legs syndrome:

Unlike night cramps, it causes neither pain nor cramps.

Rather, this manifests itself as a feeling of discomfort or tingling in the legs.

causes an urge to move the legs, while night cramps often prevent any movement.

While moving your legs provides relief from restless legs syndrome, stretching does not relieve nighttime cramps.

Causes and risk factors for night cramps

The exact cause of nighttime leg cramps is often unknown, but possible causes and risk factors include: