# Why did I wake up in the middle of the night with a cramp in my leg? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 8, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725 "2018-06-08T22:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725/41 "2018-06-11T18:08:55Z")
There is a product that is contains magnesium in a topical foam that you rub on to stop attacks. It has very good reviews online but I have not tried it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725/42 "2018-06-11T18:29:29Z")
I had a horrible leg cramp after strenuous activity and dehydration (so bad we almost called an ambulance, and there was severe bruising in the leg the day after). For the year after my heart attack and stent placement I was on a statin (despite excellent lab values). I suffered leg cramps 3-5 nights each week. Since stopping the statin I haven’t had one. ---
**Author:** ![misling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@misling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misling)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725/43 "2018-06-11T18:52:37Z")
When I used to get these quite often I added a strong footboard to my bed and when a calf started twinging and feeling like it “wanted to cramp” I would slide downward (I’m short) and press my feet hard against the footboard. This worked pretty well, basically same idea as pulling your toes upward or standing up and putting weight on to pull against the cramp. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725/44 "2018-06-11T23:25:00Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > You stretch the _other_ way. If it’s a standard calf cramp, you stretch with toes going up. Lean against a wall, hang your toes over a step, or any of a hundred other ways to strech. > > The trick is when the cramp is on the opposing muscle. Then you have to stretch with the toes going down. Not nearly as easy. > > Which way is the body part being pulled? Force it the other way. Doesn’t quite fit what I was saying that I have happen occasionally. I don’t seem to HAVE a cramp to start with it. Simply deciding to stretch my leg because it normally feels good, or extending it for some other reason causes it. And seems very much like the calf muscle decides that it’s not going to stop stretching, and pulls itself extremely tight until it’s very painful. I can believe that it’s associated with dehydration, but stretching seems to be the cause, not the cure. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725/45 "2018-06-12T04:11:19Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > If anyone can tell me how to keep my foot at a 90 degree angle to my leg while sleeping (short of wearing ski boots to bed), I’d be happy to listen. Night splints. I was wearing one for a while to help with plantar fasciitis. They’re a little better than ski boots, but not much. > **[Amazon.com: Alpha Medical Plantar Fascitis Night Splint Heel & Foot Pain;...](https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Medical-Plantar-Fascitis-Splint/dp/B06X1647H7)** > > Buy Alpha Medical Plantar Fascitis Night Splint Heel & Foot Pain; P.F. Brace L4398 (Small {Men's shoe size less than 7 / Women's shoe size less than 7.5}) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725/46 "2018-06-12T11:40:56Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Doesn’t quite fit what I was saying that I have happen occasionally. I don’t seem to HAVE a cramp to start with it. Simply deciding to stretch my leg because it normally feels good, or extending it for some other reason causes it. And seems very much like the calf muscle decides that it’s not going to stop stretching, and pulls itself extremely tight until it’s very painful. I can believe that it’s associated with dehydration, but stretching seems to be the cause, not the cure. ??? Motion, even if you call it “stretching”, can induce a cramp. Stretching the opposite way helps relieve it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725/47 "2018-06-12T13:05:16Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > ??? Motion, even if you call it “stretching”, can induce a cramp. Stretching the opposite way helps relieve it. When I was getting frequent statin-related leg cramps, waking up became a high risk time. When I wake up, I stretch. That frequently led to an immediate, intense cramp, forcing me to jump out of bed and get weight on the affected leg. I learned to suppress the “reflexive” stretching and instead would get out of bed and stand up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-cramp-in-my-leg/815725.md?page=2)