The most distinctive or unusual aspect of RLS is that lying down and trying to relax activates the RLS symptoms. As a result, most people with RLS have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Left untreated, RLS causes exhaustion and daytime fatigue. Many people with RLS symptoms report that their job, personal relations, and activities of daily living are strongly affected as a result of their exhaustion.
RLS Symptoms: Severity and Duration
RLS symptoms vary from person to person and range from mild to severe:
Mild RLS occurs episodically, with only mild disruption of sleep, and causes little distress
In moderately severe cases, RLS symptoms occur once or twice a week but result in significant delay of sleep, with some disruption of daytime function
In severe cases of RLS, the symptoms occur more than twice a week and result in burdensome interruption of sleep and impairment of daytime function.
RLS symptoms may begin at any stage of life, although the disorder is more common in people who are older. RLS symptoms usually become more severe over time.
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