Restless leg syndrome is a neurological disorder that presents itself with a feeling of discomfort or restlessness in one or both legs that eases with movement. The condition usually worsens at night – explains Dr. Lara Fratticci, neurologist of Humanitas – due to a dysfunction of the system that regulates dopamine. The unavoidable need to move the legs in order to relieve the discomfort tends to worsen at night because of the reduction in dopamine levels, which normally decreases during nighttime, even in healthy people, but it is generally lower in those who suffer from restless leg syndrome. The dopaminergic system in the subcortical area is made up of neurons that control movement; a dysfunction of this system indicates the syndrome and its symptoms, which can improve by taking dopaminergic drugs. Finally, those who suffer from this syndrome also tend to suffer from insomnia. The reason behind this is that only movement relieves the symptoms of restless leg syndrome, forcing the patient to get out of bed, which also affects the quality of night rest.
