Did you know that many people have tried the wacky idea of using soap to relieve Restless Leg Syndrome? This fidgety affliction can be treated with medication, but many find that natural remedies or other treatment options, like use of soap, are just as effective (with no side effects).
Have you seen those commercials about restless legs?
Maybe you even have it? It is obvious that the pharmaceutical industry has taken hold of this distressing syndrome and sees dollar signs and a marketing slogan. BUT, I have heard that the possible side effects could be FAR worse than restless legs. Soap for rls symptoms is an easy remedy that YOU can try today!
My mom was reading up on it on the internet and found that Ivory Soap could be the key to getting rid of hers.
What. the. heck?
What is Restless Leg (RLS)?
Honestly, the verdict is still out. And it seems to be different than nightly leg cramps or a charley horse. A lot of people suffer from it, but the cause seems to be complex — and hard to pin down.
There are no studies or scientific evidence that show that any of the remedies in this article work. There ARE medications that people use, but they have hard side effects like dry mouth, brain fog, fatigue or weight gain.
Rates of RLS are twice as high in women, and can be as high as 3 times as high in pregnant women (which makes having a natural home remedy like soap important, as those women don’t want to take medications if they don’t have to).
Using Soap for Restless Leg
Does it make ANY sense? no (seriously guys, ZERO studies or scientific research on this one besides a TON of people recommending it online — check out my comments!) — but she happened to have a new bar of soap in her pantry. She unwrapped it (it seems like the jury’s out on if you actually need to unwrap it) and popped it between her mattress pad and her fitted sheet and somehow like dumbo with his feather, she no longer has restless leg at night. Soap remedy for the win! Just to be clear, liquid soap won’t work for middle of the night RLS.
**Think this is insane (just like I did) — check the comments!
Bar of soap in bed for restless leg
If you are in the mood to read more:
- This one is selling their own soap, but ivory soap seemed to work for my mom!
- More positive reviews.
- This one rates a bar of soap as the top remedy.
So, I got 3 bars of Ivory Soap for my little photo shoot and I read all the ingredients — it really makes NO sense. My mom says she can’t smell the scent of ivory soap, she has it tucked in a corner under the bottom sheet so she doesn’t feel it.
She said the first couple of nights she’d be on the “verge”of getting it — but then would remember her soap and it would stop.
It seems like a homeopathic remedy that is a good standby treatment for nocturnal leg cramps.
What kind of soap for RLS?
It looks like there’s evidence that any type of soap will work although I don’t know about the fragrance of the soap… but my mom has only tried Ivory Soap.
I have heard some people tout lavender-scented soap because of its soothing qualities if you like the smell of lavender. But, Ivory worked for my mom. Feel free to try another brand of soap, like irish spring or even soap chips.
However….
Hers came back harder when she had knee surgery…
Other natural remedies for Restless Leg
Once my mom started having the issue, I started studying it more.
Things I have found that have helped others:
Magnesium supplements can often keep chemistry on your side to help your muscles stay calm, some people use it in a lotion on their legs.
Good news! Some people have found that a weighted blanket can help. It just helps your legs relax by pressure. I have seen a lot of things about the counter stimulation helping your fidgety legs.
Light stretching can help — keeping in mind that rigorous exercise before bed is NOT recommended, and can make the uncontrollable urge to move your legs worse.
Loosen up — I have seen some people say that un-tucking your bed sheets can help your legs have some movement (if your toes are forced to point down it can be problematic)
Chill out — some people have said that by changing the temperature helps (some say heated, some say cooled like cold compresses) it can help. I have a BedJet which I love to help relax me before bed! Check it out here.
A little quinine anyone? My mom has found tonic water to be helpful. Again, no studies — people don’t recommend it — but I saw it recommended again and again online, so I bought her some. And she said it helped, a LOT!
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Doctors say that decreasing your alcohol, coffee and tobacco consumption can help with it as well!
Some people report that massage can help — especially when they concentrate on your leg area. Less helpful when you’ve just had surgery though.
I have also heard good things about essential oils for RLS, something like this.
Finally, it’s certainly a good idea to talk with your doctor about it if you’re finding it problematic. They can always order some tests to make sure your chemistry is alright.
Restless Legs vs Leg Cramps
It’s sort of a fine line as they are different problems (both are described as painful)… if nighttime leg cramps or muscle cramps are your issue, I’ve heard good things about this stuff.
Want more great health tips – don’t miss my family health tips
It’s crazy, right? Anyone tried it? Do you think it’s Dumbo and his feather “made” him fly — or is it more? I figure spending a buck on a bar of soap (which you could even just use if this experiment went awry) might be worth a try!
Ivory Soap for Restless Legs relief is the first of my Weird things that work series. Be sure to check out my health and wellness board on Pinterest!
Sheli says
My legs were hurting so bad for the longest time, very restless during sleep, tried stuff from the homeopathic items in the store..those didn’t budge it. ate a banana daily until i got so tired of bananas – didn’t help much, had my husband massage my legs and feet nightly and that helped a bit. I have actually found wearing compression socks during the day helps tremendously! I wear them every other day and found my cramping and restlessness hasn’t been happening. Will have to remember the soap trick incase i run out of compression socks 🙂
Hilary says
haha, glad the compression socks are helping. I know lots of nurses who wear them!
Linda says
Back in my running days I would frequently suffer from leg cramps (muscle cramps) at night, but they were nothing compared to the ones during pregnancy. My doctor had me increase my calcium, magnesium & potassium intake and that stopped them completely. Now I have a spinal cord injury that often causes my legs to move about uncontrollably when I’m awake and asleep (or trying to sleep). I take medications for it so I can function, but even they can’t control it all the time. What I have learned through all of this is that different circumstances can be the cause of my leg pains & spasms. If it’s the muscles cramping up I take the supplements. If it seems more likely vascular (varicose veins), an aspirin tends to work best. Sometimes it’s general stress and deep relaxation techniques are my solution. The brain is a lot more powerful than I ever gave it credit for. Maybe the scent of a bar of soap is soothing? Maybe it’s security (placebo).? They claim scent is the most powerful sense to stimulate the brain. Even when we don’t notice a scent our brains can react to it. I may have to try sleeping with a bar of soap and see if it helps any or not. Either way, it sure doesn’t hurt anything to give it a try.
Hilary says
Yeah, I think there’s a lot of reasons for RLS which is probably why the medication isn’t super effective. My mom says she can’t smell the soap at all. So weird….
Hilary says
I do feel like there’s lots of reasons. It’s interesting, but if soap fixes it… 🙂
Susie Lee says
I am going to have to try this. I developed RLS when I was pregnant with my first and it didn’t go away. With my second pregnancy my OB told me to try iron supplements and gave me some. It has made a huge difference. I rarely get it at all now, but it does happen occasionally, I’ll have to try the soap.
Hilary says
A lot of pregnant women seem to get this issue…. must have something to do with the parasite that is your baby. 🙂
Susie Lee says
Yep, lol. Could be all the nutrients they are stealing from you.
Hilary says
Amen, and Amen!
Linda says
Hi, just had to comment on this because I am also a firm believer in the use of bar soap for RLS and charlie horses. My husband who has RLS and also suffers from charlie horses (works on concrete floors 12 hrs a day) and I, who suffer from occasional charlie horses, have used a bar of soap in our bed for going on 15 years now and although we do not know the science behind it we know that it does help tremendously. I do swap out the bar of soap about every 6 months and I just use whatever soap we have in the house at that time, Dove, Irish Spring, Zest whatever and they all seem to work. I have told many friends about this and all but one have found relief with this method. Thanks for posting and spread the word….no reason to suffer from these afflictions and lose sleep when there is possibly a really simple relief you can try. Good luck and Good sleep..
Hilary says
Interesting that it helps with the charlie horses too! I wish I’d known about that when I was pregnant {i-yi-yi!}
Ouida Madison says
My family swears by this!!!! My parents always had a bar of soap at the end of their bed. My mom used to get leg cramps after swimming that she used little soaps (like from hotel rooms) and put them in her socks. I put soap in my bed too because of restless legs and it really works. I always recommend it to family and friends.
Hilary says
So insane, I love the hotel soap trick!
Cheridal Nicholson says
I’ve heard of the soap thing but never tried it. What I do and it works great and almost instantly is vinegar! I put about 3T in a glass with water (about 1/2 c) and drink it! You can add honey or sugar if you can’t stand the sour, but it doesn’t bother me and works immediately!!! I don’t actually measure anything, just pour it in so I just guessed at my amounts –
Hilary says
Very interesting, vinegar is sucha fixer!
Cheridal Nicholson says
I’ve heard of the soap thing but never tried it. What I do and it works great and almost instantly is vinegar! I put about 3T in a glass with water (about 1/2 c) and drink it! You can add honey or sugar if you can’t stand the sour, but it doesn’t bother me and works immediately!!! I don’t actually measure anything, just pour it in so I just guessed at my amounts – since the cramps are at night, I’m too sleepy to measure anything!
Tamika says
Whoa so crazy you say this! My mother, sister and I all suffer from RLS and have been for years. We will usually drink pickle juice to help it subside and that seems to do the trick. We always thought it was the sodium from the pickle juice, but now I know it must be the vinegar!! Thanks for your comment…so helpful!!!
Hilary says
Woot-woo for pickle juice!
judee@ Gluten Free A-Z Blog says
I had to jump in on the soap discussion. My mother in law swears by it. She read about it in a doctor’s column who said that his patients told him about it. He can’t figure out why it works either but he still shared it. My mother in law started placing a bar of soap under her sheets and guess what. Her cramps and restless legs disappeared.. Crazy
Hilary says
It is SO crazy!
Jill says
Another thing that helps with RLS (I’ve had it since I was a little girl too) is a weighted blanket, like they use for some children with sensory issues. You can make one yourself with beans or rice and some material or even a pillow case. The heavy weight of the blanket calms the legs – sort of like the lady with the dogs was talking about. I am going to try the soap trick too tho!
Hilary says
Mm…. that makes sense. Try the soap, se eif it works!
Teah says
I have had RLS since I was a child (inherited from my mother who inherited it from HER mother). I usually just use it as a reminder that it’s time for me to go to bed and I shouldn’t stay up so late. However, I do have problems with my Sciatic randomly, also. Today it is really bad. Maybe I will try this and see if anything improves.
And to all of the nay sayers, if it is a placebo then who cares? For those that haven’t found anything else that works and don’t want to me on medication then let them believe that a bar of soap helps. At least SOMETHING is helping!!! 🙂
Hilary says
Yes, I’d much rather have a bar of soap than drugs. 🙂
Tara says
I keep meaning to try this soap trick! Luckily I only get RLS during pregnancy, but my mom has it pretty chronically. We’ve both found magnesium to be helpful, I found a magnesium oil spray on Amazon that settles my legs almost immediately when I spray it on. My mom has used the soap trick and found that she needs to change her bar out for a fresh one every few months in order for it to be effective.
Hilary says
It’s all so weird…. I am glad it helps!
Ann says
I don’t have RLS but I seem to have Restless Arm Syndrome, if that’s possible. It’s the only thing I can think of to call it. Only once in awhile and only in one arm. It doesn’t twitch or cramp, thank goodness, it just feels “restless” at night. Drives me nuts. I will try the bar of soap and see if it helps! I’m glad it has been helping others! Thanks for posting!
Terry says
I get RLS once in awhile. I have had my husband pull my legs, this did help. I have had my children sit on my legs, their weight helped. Now I am on my own, so no one to help. But when I get it I stretch my legs and spread them apart, this seems to help enough to let me fall asleep. Often my knees ache, I have found that if I lay on my stomach the pain goes away. I don’t know why but it works for me.
Hannah says
I have had RLS for years and I have never heard of this. I will be trying this tonight! Thanks for sharing!
Suzanne says
I’ve had RLS with increasing frequency the last 2-3 years. It is SO frustrating and exhausting to be sleepy and have the twingy pulses of RLS prevent falling asleep for 2+ hours!! Took amytriptilene which helped almost immediately but then later the doctor said they weren’t recommending its use any longer (I gradually reduced that dose over a couple of weeks and did not have any problems doing so). The doc recommended gabapentin instead and that has helped until recently. I am slowing increasing the dose to address a rare inner ear problem so am continuing with gabapentin. My husband takes magnesium before bed to address leg cramps but I hadn’t tried it for RLS. I will first try the soap method! So glad to have found your blog!
Hilary says
I hope it helps!
Kathey Perez says
Read on Pinterest my comment on a pin you posted about Restless Leg Syndrome..
Hilary says
Sure did read it. I’m sad that you think things like this can’t work. It obviously works for some.
Ginny Dean says
I saw this post or one like it before . I have had RLS and some really severe muscle spasms in my legs for years.
Out of curiosity and because nothing else had helped, I tried this. I didn’t use ivory because I had none and at the time had Dial soap so I used that.
I have had it under my sheets for many months now and it has worked completely 100 percent!
I don’t know why but I love it!!
Weird how it works. No RLS nor leg spasms since then. . its fantastic!
Hilary says
A lot of people said the cheaper the soap is the better it works. Who knows, but I’m glad it did!
Ruth M. says
Thank you so much! I just put Ivory soap on my list and will definitely try it.
Restless legs are the worst feeling ever. Sometimes I’m just so tired and then this kicks in making it impossible to sleep.
Thanks again!
Hilary says
Haha, it doesn’t have to be Ivory, I’ve now found out. I hope whatever kind of soap you use — it helps!
Suzanne says
I replied earlier, on Dec. 15, 2015. In my reading about putting a bar of soap in the bed, I do not recall seeing any additional details about what to do with the bar of soap. Did it just sit somewhere in the bed? Is the soap unwrapped or still in its packaging, and if the latter, what if it came in a box? (I didn’t like the thought of my legs bumping up against a box with sharp corners). Did one put it next to one’s leg? I needed more details! So I began to experiment —
Here’s what I’ve tried (AND IT WORKS!): I put 2 bars of soap in my bed, each one inside a thick soft sock. Each sock is individually closed by tying a knot about 1/2″ away from the bar of soap. I have 2 bars because, while it’s more often my right leg, occasionally both legs are restless. When I get into bed, I place the outer side of my right foot & ankle area over the knotted sock & soap bar. The sock knot and/or bar areas provide pressure points which I can adjust by slightly moving my foot or the sock. I believe it’s the pressure that reduces/eliminates the nerve firing that causes restlessness. For me, the firing point is originates at my outer ankle area and then courses up my leg and/or down into the base of my foot. This pressure point “treatment” has worked over 90% of the time and I fall asleep more quickly!
I will be interested to read about details of different methods tried by others AND whether “my” method turns out to work for others as well.
Suzanne says
I forgot to mention perhaps an important detail — I didn’t use Ivory soap. I had Palmolive brand soap (Palmolive Naturals with olive and aloe) on hand so that’s what I used. So, it appears to not matter what soap brand you use. I’m convinced the “bar of soap method” gives relief from restless leg because of the pressure provided by resting a particular area of your leg or foot on the soap and/or knot in the sock.
~ Suzanne
Kathryn Striley says
I don’t know the science behind it, but soap (I have TWO bars) under the fitted sheet works great for me, but I have to have the soap near the area cramping. If I feel a cramp coming on, I just find the soap and move my leg close to it. Although it apparently doesn’t work for everyone, it does for me every time and within seconds! BTW I use Dove, just because that’s what I keep on hand for showering. I first read about this method in a newspaper doctor’s column.
Hilary says
Seems like any soap will do!