My Bedroom Puppet Master

Quiet, dark room.

Soft, cool pillow rests your head.

Mind, peacefully drifting.

⚡⚡⚡

Then it starts.

The tiny twitch of your big toe.

A creeping, crawling sensation up your leg.

There’s nothing you can do

but stretch.

Ahh, that’s better.

⚡⚡⚡

Your mind, quiet again,

embracing the night…

A pulling feeling at your calf.

It explodes down to your foot,

until you can no longer fight

that irresistible urge

to move your legs.

⚡⚡⚡

The more you think about it,

the worse it gets.

The more exhausted you are,

the worse it gets.

You try to resist it,

but your leg just moves

on its own.

Your mind has stepped

outside your body

and has maniacally taken control.

You’re a puppet on a string.

⚡⚡⚡

You get up and walk around,

only temporary relief

before you lie back down

and start again.

⚡⚡⚡

Maybe a hot shower will help?

Once again,

only a moment of respite.

⚡⚡⚡

All you can do is lie there

and ride it out.

A prisoner in your own body,

until you finally drift into slumber…

Or the next twitch begins.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is something that drives me nuts from time to time, especially at night when I’m really tired. It’s an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, often accompanied by an unsettling creeping or crawling sensation.

It seems to be a mysterious condition. Although it’s believed to be linked to the nervous system, the exact cause is not yet known, and there doesn’t appear to be a treatment or cure.

I had it particularly badly during pregnancy, possibly due to my almost non-existent iron levels, but once again, no one was really sure.