Is restless legs syndrome a sleep disorder?

Abstract

A compelling urge to move the legs, often accompanied by uncomfortable dysesthesias, is the fundamental element of restless legs syndrome (RLS). To make a diagnosis of RLS, this core sensory-motor symptom must be present at rest, at least temporarily relieved by movement, and most pronounced at night.1 Sleep disturbance is usually present in RLS and is traditionally considered as a consequence of either the sensory-motor symptom interfering with sleep or of periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS), present in roughly 80% of RLS patients. However, dysesthesias, sleep disturbance, or PLMS are not required for an RLS diagnosis, though they are supportive. In this way, difficulties with understanding, recognition, and treatment of RLS may be related to its definition: is it a sleep disorder, a movement disorder, or a chronic pain disorder?