The urge to move the legs usually is due to unpleasant feelings in the legs. People with restless legs syndrome describe these feelings as:

 

• Creeping
• Crawling
• Pulling
• Itching
• Tingling
• Burning
• Aching
• Painful
• Hard to describe.

 

The unpleasant feelings in restless legs syndrome usually occur in the lower leg (calf). But the feelings can occur at any place between the thigh and the ankle and also in the arm. The feelings are worse when lying down or sitting for a long period of time and during the evening or night. The unpleasant feelings also make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep and they tend to go away when you move.

 

Symptoms of restless legs syndrome tend to get worse over time. People with early symptoms of restless legs syndrome are more likely to have other family members with RLS than people who develop RLS later in life. When RLS occurs later in life, it is usually the result of an underlying condition or illness. People with mild symptoms of restless legs syndrome may only notice them when they are still or awake for a long period of time, such as on a long airplane trip.