Causes Of Night-Time Calf Cramps

Have you ever woken up from sleep with a sudden leg cramp? You will be surprised to know that this is a very common problem among many people. You typically feel a sharp pain in your calf muscles and it disrupts your sleep. This is what we refer to as night calf cramps. While night-time calf cramps are common, they should not be ignored.

First of all, night calf cramps can lead to sleep problems. Secondly, nothing happens without a cause. So if you are getting leg cramps specifically at night, then you ought to know why. There are some causes of night-time calf cramps and here they are.

Causes Of Night-Time Calf Cramps

Blood Circulation Problems
Most of us get a leg cramp once in a while. But if you get these cramps with increasing regularity then it could mean that something is wrong with your blood circulation. If your circulatory system is not functioning properly, then sufficient blood may not be going to your legs while lying down. This could make your calf muscles cramp suddenly.

Injury Due To Exercise
Strenuous exercise can sometimes stretch your muscles a bit to far. If you have picked up a leg injuring while working out, it can suddenly become raw while sleeping at night. You have to care for the injury and it will heal soon enough.

Deficiency Of Essential Minerals
Minerals like potassium and calcium are essential electrolytes for your body. In the absence of these minerals, it is very difficult for your blood circulation to function smoothly. Therefore if you are deficient in these minerals, you may have leg cramps very often.

Pregnancy
Night-time calf cramps are exceedingly common during pregnancy. This is primarily because the growing foetus draws essential minerals like calcium and magnesium from your body. As a result, your blood circulation is slow and faulty sometimes.

Dehydration
When your body is totally drained of fluids, you are in the state of dehydration. When there are not enough fluids in the body, your blood circulation and even your central nervous system is affected immediately. That is why it is very important for you to drink enough water before sleeping and have a sip of water whenever you wake during the night.

These are some of the commonest causes of night-time calf cramps. Damage to the kidneys or being on certain special types of medications can also cause leg cramps.