Affecting around one in 10 people in the UK, restless legs syndrome is characterised by an unpleasant crawling or creeping sensation in the feet, calves and thighs, resulting in an overwhelming desire to move the legs. 

Symptoms are often worse in the evening and may include involuntary jerking or twitching of the limbs. In the majority of cases there is no obvious cause, although some sufferers have an underlying health condition such as iron deficiency anaemia or kidney failure. What’s more, around one in five pregnant women suffer in the last trimester of pregnancy, but symptoms often disappear after birth.

Fast facts

• We spend around a third of our lives asleep
• Deep sleep coincides with the release of growth hormones in children and young adults
• Some 67 per cent of UK adults suffer from disrupted sleep and 23 per cent manage no more than five hours a night
• Improving sleep is the biggest health ambition for a quarter (26 per cent) of UK adults but half (51 per cent) don’t take any measures to aid sleep.