This condition is characterized by the jerking of a persons leg (or arm) during sleep. It has been suggested that one third of those with PLMD will have RLS. Each twitch may last from 1-3 seconds; about every 10-60 seconds. This may occur for only a few minutes or last for hours. In severe cases, the twitches may last all night. The movements themselves seem to do no damage, and some good sleepers experience them without problem. However, if the twitches are strong, or the person is a light sleeper, they can wake a person up. Because they occur before the wakening, you don't know what woke you up. If the awakenings are frequent, it can result in excessive daytime sleepiness. No one really knows the cause of these movements; there are likely to be a variety of causes. Sometimes they are related to certain medications, poor circulation, a metabolic disease, kidney disease or folic acid defficiency. There are some medications which have been used to successfully treat this condition. One medication is Sinemet.

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