Do You Suffer From Cramps or Spasms at Night?

Is your sleep being disrupted by painful and uncomfortable muscle spasms? Unfortunately, muscle cramps and spasms can come on without warning at any time of the day or night. However, many people find that their muscles tend to act up just when they're trying to wind down. While there are many reasons behind why people experience muscle cramps and spasms, narrowing down the cause of your troubling muscle activity can help you to create a plan for soothing your muscles to prevent painful, disruptive cramps and spasms at night.

There's actually a very specific reason why muscle spasms are more likely to happen at night. While you may assume that a muscle would be more likely to seize up when you're putting strain on it during the day, the reality is that a rested muscle is a vulnerable muscle. Most people who experience muscle spasms at night experience the spasms throughout their feet and calf muscles. These types of spasms are especially common when people are settling into their beds for the night. Typically, the underlying reason for calf spasms is simply that the calf muscles shorten when you lie down in your bed. Muscles are more likely to spasm when they are in the "shortened" position.

What Is a Muscle Cramp?

Muscle cramps and spasms are involuntary contractions. Coming on without warning, cramps can really take the wind out of your sails. Unlike a muscle flex or movement, a cramp is a completely involuntary action. Most cramps come and go in a flash. However, they can last anywhere from several seconds to several minutes. Some people actually have sustained muscle cramping that lasts for days.

How Do I Know I'm Having a Muscle Cramp?

Some muscle cramps are so severe that people are convinced they are having major medical episodes. If a cramp occurs in a muscle located near a major organ, it can be a very terrifying experience because the cramping can cause a radiating tightness. Here's a look at the signs that you're having a muscle cramp:

• Sharp pain.
• Discomfort.
• A feeling of tightness.
• A sensation of twitching under the skin.
• A visible twitching under the skin.
• An area under the skin that feels hard to the touch.
• A hard lump under the skin.
• Sudden, involuntary movement of the muscle.
• A feeling of your muscle being very tired.

In some cases, you may only have one symptom. However, a muscle spasm can also create a "jolt" through your body that brings on many symptoms at once. It's helpful to know that a muscle spasm can technically happen to any muscle within your body. However, they most commonly occur in the muscles in the back, thigh, calf and foot.

What Causes Muscle Spasms?

First, it's important to know that you shouldn't necessarily be alarmed if you experience a random muscle spasm. An isolated spasm or cramp isn't necessarily a sign of trouble. It may be that you inadvertently applied too much pressure to a certain area of your body while standing or sitting in a random position. However, spasms can be signs of more serious issues in some cases. Spasms that last for more than a few seconds could point to everything from a lack of proper blood flow to a nerve irritation. Here's a look at the most common causes of muscles spasms:

• Muscle Fatigue: If you've overworked a muscle without proper rest, you could trigger muscle spasms.
• Dehydration: A loss of electrolytes in the muscles can cause muscle cramping. Cramping is especially common when we're depleted of sodium and potassium.
• Improper Stretching: You may injure a muscle if your stretching technique puts unnecessary strain on a muscle.
• Mineral, Vitamin or Dietary Deficiencies: People who lack certain vitamins and mineral can be vulnerable to muscle cramping. We know that being deficient in vitamin B12 is linked with muscle cramps. If you maintain a vegan diet, it may be necessary to look into altering your supplementation plan because many of the nutrients found in dairy and animal products help to ease or prevent cramping.
• Nerve Irritation: If you have a disc injury, the pressure from the disc misalignment could be aggravating your muscles.
• Motor Nerve Damage: Regular, prolonged muscle spasms could be pointing to nerve damage.
• Dystonia: This is a neurological muscle disorder that's characterized by involuntary muscle spasms.
• A Joint Sprain: If you have an undetected joint sprain, the muscles surrounding the joint may spasm.
• Medication: Certain medications are known to cause muscle cramping. If you take a prescription medication, it may be time to read the fine print to see if muscle cramping is a potential side effect.
• Exercising in Extreme Heat: Have you been pushing yourself hard in the heat? It turns out that the temperature of your workout could be to blame for muscles that just won't sleep. Muscles will actually seize up from being overworked in hot conditions.

First, you'll want to rule out any serious muscle injuries or nerve disorders before coming up with a plan to stop muscle spasms. If you're certain that your cramping is caused by lifestyle factors, it's time to look at things like your diet, your hydration habits, your supplementation routine and your exercise routine. Many people who experience muscle spasms find that they simply aren't hydrating enough to provide the electrolytes needed for muscles to function.

Natural Relief for Muscle Cramps: Treating Muscle Spasms and Cramps

Again, starting with lifestyle changes is important. However, you can also apply direct stimulation to the muscles to promote health and healing. The most important treatment for muscle cramps is something called muscle balancing.

When you have any type of imbalance in your spinal column or soft tissue, this can cause your muscles to become unbalanced. As a result, you get "shortened" muscles that become vulnerable to cramping when you lie down to rest in bed. While unbalanced muscles are enough to cause cramping, the situation can get much worse if you become depleted or dehydrated. For instance, a person who has been living with unbalanced muscles for years may suddenly have a spasm attack one night after taking a long hike on vacation. While that person didn't necessarily injure their muscle during the hike, the combination of a shortened muscle mixed with factors like strain, heat and dehydration will create the perfect storm for muscle spasms. Getting treatment is important because we know that allowing muscle spasms to go untreated can result in permanent damage to the muscle tissue.

Many people are pushed to pain relievers and prescription muscle relaxants when they experience muscle cramping and pain. While these methods can offer short-term relief, they do nothing to address the underlying cause of muscle cramping. As a result, the injury or deficiency that is causing the spasms never gets properly investigated. We also know that a holistic method like chiropractic care actually produces better outcomes for immediate pain reduction while also helping to heal and restore the muscle. In studies, people experiencing back pain saw better results for pain relief when using chiropractic care when compared to people using muscle relaxants.

If you're having muscle spasms at night, enjoying a refreshing evening of rest without worrying about that lightning-bolt feeling of a muscle spasm might be easier than you think. When you book an appointment with a chiropractor to treat muscle cramping, you'll take a look at your health history, lifestyle, history of injuries and more to try to pinpoint why your muscles are sending distress signals. Your chiropractor will also be able to look for signs of muscle shortening that are directly linked with muscle cramps at night.