- Things that may help prevent nightly leg cramps include wearing shoes during the day that provide good support, and leaving the sheets and cover untucked at the end of the bed while sleeping. If you are prone to leg cramps, drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. It also may be helpful to ride an exercise bike or stretch the leg muscles a little before going to bed.
- When a cramp does occur, try one or all of the following: Lift the foot up towards your head; put all of your weight on the leg that is experiencing the cramp; walk around or jiggle the leg muscles. Other techniques include massaging the affected area with ice or taking a warm bath.
- Those individuals who frequently have muscle cramps may need to see a doctor. In some cases, the doctor prescribes muscle relaxers. Muscle relaxers commonly prescribed for muscle cramps include carisoprodol (Soma), quinine sulfate (Qualaquin), vitamin E (Nutr-E-Sol), verapamil (Isoptin) and carisoprodol (Vanadom).
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