Could sleeping with your legs elevated cause Charlie Horses?

I’ve been sleeping in a recliner for a few months now due to sleep apnea. I have a CPAP machine, but it doesn’t help when I sleep in a bed because I move around and knock the mask off.

Anyways, I’ve been getting excruciating charlie horses in the morning and throughout the day. Can sleeping in this position with my legs higher than my head due to be reclined cause this painful situation?

If not, what causes charlie horses?

I sit in a bad chair all day and it causes my feet to swell. I sometimes sleep with my feet elevated to reduce the swelling over night and I don’t get charly horses.

Are you sure it is a charly horse and not muscle cramps? If you aren’t used to the position your muscles will complain. Stretching before bed can help as can eating a banana.

Yep, bananas help me. I think its the potassium, or lack of, that causes my cramps.

I get them in my calves if I’m sleeping under too many blankets and my legs get too hot during the night. I don’t think it’s lack of potassium as I dutifully down a multi-vitamin each night.

Are your legs exposed/cold when you wake up ? That’s when I get Charlie Horses ( my mother was the same ); anything that exposes my legs while I’m asleep and let’s them chill down will do it.

Hm. I wonder about that. I usually kick the covers off my calves or stick my feet to cool down, because it’s been when I’m too hot that it seems to trigger it. Cooling my legs a bit seems to help.

Also not stretching with one’s feet curled up ballerina-style.

I don’t know, but sleeping with legs apart can lead to pregnancy.

Actually, I have the same problem if I fall asleep on the couch with my feet up on one of the arms. I also wake with a horrible headache.

What are ‘charlie horses’?

I sleep covered up, but do sweat a lot during the night. I also take vitamins daily, so I doubt I’m lacking anything. It’s the weirdest thing, also the most painful. A bad charlie horse is excrutiating.

I get them every once in awhile when one of my legs gets really tangled up in the covers and my leg is stretched out too much (tightly). They are killer. I shoot up in bed and massage my calf until it calms down. But it is usually sore for a day or so after.

Charley Horse on Wikipedia