Often leg cramps occur out of the blue they can happen during sleep or even when trying to fall asleep. Nocturnal leg cramps are distressing and unbearably painful.

In the middle of the night, a nocturnal leg cramp tends to jolt you awake It's extremely painful, wearisome and interferes with sound sleep.

Charley Horse: Commonly referred to as a Charley horse. Leg muscle cramping is an involuntarily sustained spasm or contraction of the leg and calf muscles. Such severe night cramps also occur in the upper thigh and sometimes in the foot.

Usually, older adults are beset with leg cramps however, they can occur in any age group and as well during daytime

Why cramps: The cause of night leg cramps is unknown but several reasons are suggested for this nocturnal happening. Cramps often result from vigorous exercise, trauma to the muscle, overexertion of the calf muscles while exercising and muscle overuse or fatigue.

Cramps in the calves may occur from the use of some medicines or a side effect of some medications.Other culprits blamed as a cause of leg cramps are dehydration, vitamin deficiencies, alcoholic consumption in particular red wine.

Calf muscle cramps may also be the result of a sedentary lifestyle of continually sitting for a long time. More contributory factors are putting the legs in awkward positions while sleeping or keeping the leg in an awkward position for too long.

Additionally, cramps may be associated with some disease conditions and poor blood circulation in the legs.

Intensely Painful: The cramped muscle feels tense, hard, firm, bulging and tight. It's a very painful episode that may not relax swiftly the intense pain of leg cramps can last from a few seconds to minutes or for even longer periods.

Nocturnal cramps are very exasperating, particularly when they recur several nights in a row causing discomfort and sleep interruptions. Sometimes they repeat after the first attack.

Managing Cramps: When severe bouts of nocturnal leg cramps occur you'll want to seek speedy relief to help ease the severe pain. Interventions are aimed at releasing the tightness in the cramped muscle and this, in turn, eliminates the excruciating pain. You'll regain your comfort and equilibrium once the muscle is relaxed.

1. Some things you can try to stop muscle cramps include stretching the affected limb, massaging or warming up the muscles. When cramps occur in the calf or back of the thigh promptly standing up and walking around helps to stretch the affected muscles eventually this eases the severe pain.
2. Drink plenty of water and other fluids this seems to be very helpful in alleviating intense pain. Drinking plenty of water is essential since cramps are often caused by dehydration. A heating pad placed on the muscle or using an ice or cold pack can also help.
3. Some people with chronic leg cramps have found relief using cool compresses, which work by numbing pain and reducing soreness.
4. If you think a medicine is causing the muscle cramps the medicine may need to be stopped or changed, or the dose may need to be adjusted.

Preventive Tips: The best preventive self-care tactic involves stretching the leg and calf muscles just before sleep. Stretch your muscles every day especially before and after exercise and at bedtime.

Stretch the leg as much as possible by putting your leg out straight and pulling your foot up with your toes pointing toward the ceiling.

Simply take an active role in stretching and strengthening your muscles. There are some medications to calm leg nerves or relax the muscles to diminish the problem of nocturnal cramps

Drinking two or three large glasses of water prior to going to bed is very helpful in preventing nocturnal leg cramps especially if cramps are recurrent. Limit or avoid drinks with alcohol.

Certain vitamins and minerals impact muscle function, particularly potassium and magnesium if your dietary intake is deficient, taking a supplement can help you reach your daily allowance.