Q. This is either an urban legend or a friend is playing a joke on me. She says that if you sleep with a bar of soap (not Dove or deodorant kind) the restless leg syndrome (RLS) will not occur.
She swears that she read this someplace and that it worked for a relative. Since it was non-invasive, I slept with a bar of soap for two weeks. No RLS, but I still had leg cramps.
Is this a placebo? Mind over-matter? It is NOT logical! Have you ever heard of such a thing?
A. Your friend may have read about the soap remedy in our column. We agree that putting a bar of soap under the bottom sheet is illogical. Like most remedies, it has never been tested scientifically. But we have heard from many readers that it helps prevent their cramps. Here is one:
“I have had severe leg cramps for years. When I read about putting a bar of soap in bed, I got a bar of Ivory and put it under the bottom sheet near my legs. It’s been a month since I did that, and I have not had one leg cramp.”
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) differs from leg cramps in that the person feels the urge to move the legs frequently. It too can interfere with sleep.
We have collected a wide range of remedies for these conditions in our new Guide to Leg Pain.
9/14/17 redirected to: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/skeptic-reconsiders-the-value-of-soap-in-bed-for-restless-legs-syndrome/
