Night cramps normally affect the calves, although the thighs and feet may also be plagued with severe and sudden pain brought on by muscle cramps. According to MayoClinic.com, medical explanations and causes for night legs cramps are currently unknown. However, there are risk factors that may cause muscle cramps to happen frequently in certain individuals. In addition, the causes of nightly leg cramps may also be a side effect of serious medical complications or conditions.
Age
Leg cramps at night are prevalent among the elderly, according to MayoClinic.com. Decreased blood circulation strips peripheral muscles of lubrication, which results in leg cramps. Leg cramps frequently disturb sleep and older individuals often experience moving difficulties to relieve pain, often due to other physical ailments. Light massage can often help to alleviate leg cramps at night. Blood pressure medication, often taken by elderly people, can cause leg cramps at night, reports MayoClinic.com. Strenuous physical activity before bedtime can also result in leg spasms due to muscle loss or inactivity.
Disease
A number of conditions and diseases may contribute to nightly leg cramps as a side effect or symptom. According to MayoClinic.com, Addison's disease, Parkinson's disease, peripheral artery disease and Type 2 diabetes can cause leg cramps while sleeping. Chronic conditions, such as alcoholism, cause legs to cramp at night, especially when the person suffers from cirrhosis of the liver, a disease found in those who abuse alcohol. Night leg cramps could be a sign of dehydration, hypothyroidism or low electrolytes.
Poor Ergonomics
Nocturnal cramps, commonly referred to as charley horses, can occur in individuals who stand and work on a concrete floor all day, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Resting or sitting for long periods of time can constrict the muscles, which may react once they are straightened or lying at rest during the night. Chairs that are not ergonomically shaped to an individual's sitting form can also create spinal compressions that cause leg spasms during the day and at night.
