Periodic limb movement is a type of sleeping disorder. Periodic limb movements are said to occur when you have continues episodes of repetitive, simple muscle movements. The person suffering from this will not be able to control them. They have no influence on once ability to sleep but can severely disrupts the person’s sleep during the night. This can be due to the tiredness during the day. They have no effect in the change of body position, a cramp or stretching of muscles instead, movements tend to the flexing or tightening of muscles. They attack mostly lower legs.

Their occurrence can be at 2 different times:

• Periodic limb movement while you are sleep (PLMS)
• Periodic limb movement while awake (PLMW)

PLMS are more common. When they occur at the night, they disrupt your sleep periodically. A person is unaware of movements and/or of waking up. An example of this type of movement is that of big toe to stretch. Often hip, knee or the ankle will bend slightly. All though it is quite less common, the same can happen in the upper arms too. Degree of these movements may change from one night to other night. If these movements are severe, then they may happen while the person is wake (PLMW).

This movement last only for few minutes up to an hour. Within that time, the movement tends to occur every twenty to forty seconds. More often, they affect both legs. PLMS is quite common. Bed partner’s sleep tends to be more often affected than that the patient. They can disrupt daily life and sleep.

The other factors that can cause similar disorders are:

• Short attention span
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Bad memory

PLMS can occur in both adults and children. The probability of effecting with it increases with age and is common in elderly. The probability for people over 60 years to get effected by it is 0.34. It is found in the people who have at least one of the following sleep disorders:

1. Restless legs syndrome
2. Narcolepsy
3. REM sleep behavior disorder

People having low brain iron may show more severe effects. Severe type of PLMS has been discovered in people with:

• Spinal cord injury
• Sleep related eating disorder
• Multiple system atrophy (rare neurological disorder)

Normally, a person is unaware of the movement. This can makes it hard for the person to know if that person has periodic limb movements. Someone who sleeps with you in same bed would be in a better to notice the movements.

1. If the person’s body make strange movements while sleeping?
2. Do such movements occur in lower legs?
3. Feeling of never well-rested after having full night of asleep?
4. Feeling very tired during day?

If that’s so, then you might be suffering from PLMD.

It is important to know that is the above symptoms of some other disease. These can be:

• Another sleep disorder
• A medical condition
• Medication use
• A mental health disorder
• Substance abuse

And if not then the person should go to a doctor to get cure of PLM.

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