PART 2: PACK YOUR BAGS


We tend to look for one pill, or one trick, to solve all of our RLS problems. What we need is appropriate tricks for a variety of situations.

It wouldn't make sense to take a sleeping pill in order to be able to sit through a movie. And it wouldn't make sense to suck on a sucker, in order to get to sleep at night. Yeeeech! The dentist would love it!

ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION: What am I trying to accomplish?



EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT TRICKS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS

AIR TRAVEL (for more details, click on the airplane picture)

COMFORTABLE CLOTHING, including removable shoes
HERBAL TEA BAGS in a thermal mug....just have attendant add the hot water
MEDICINES/SUPPLEMENTS...any herbal supplements, homeopathic treatments, or prescription medicines which might help you relax and/or sleep during the trip.
FOOD! Bring a pizza on board, or anything to keep busy and distracted
MUSIC...headphones, portable CD player
COMPUTERS/VIDEO GAMES...laptops, Palm Pilots, to play games and/or keep busy
SUCKERS...always my favorite
PUSH-CUSH...two chamber air pillow; aids circulation and movement



CAR TRAVEL

SAME AS for air travel
SEAT CUSHION...vibrating and/or heated cushion
HAND WORK....knitting, manicure set, drawing
FOOD!....always!
PILLOWS...for different sitting angles
PEDDLER...if it's in a large van, you might sit on the back couch and peddler your way across the country



TELEVISION WATCHING at home

COMFORTABLE CLOTHES...might even change clothes once or twice
ZERO TOLERANCE...jump up every ten minutes, or at every commercial and do something in another room. Then, return and sit.
HEAT/COLD...heating pads or cold towel wraps. What ever feels good.
MASSAGER....use that percussion massager to your heart's content.
CANDLES/AROMAS...burn relaxing candles and/or use an aroma therapy device SUCKER....gotta have some playful "mouth toys".




GETTING TO SLEEP

NOTICE! This is GETTING to sleep, which is different than STAYING asleep.
WIND DOWN ROUTINE...shower, hot tub, lite exercise, music, herbal tea, sleep meds, NO 10pm news!!!
DEEP BREATHING...several deep breaths
WIGGLE AROUND...get comfortable
VISUALIZATION/CONCENTRATION...do dance routines or projects in your head
MUSIC/WHITE NOISE...concentrate on music, using sound pillow, headphones, or a white noise/sound machine



SITTING AT A DESK JOB
If you didn't sleep during the night, your problem might not be sitting still, so much as STAYING AWAKE!
MASSAGE CUSHION....vibrating chair cushion.
FOOT MASSAGER....some say it makes RLS worse, but same love it.
CUSH PUSH....might be like exercising while you work
HERBAL TEAS....Tension Tamer might help.
MUSIC....headphones and music, if it's allowed.



SITTING THROUGH A MOVIE, THEATER, CONCERT, or LECTURE

POPCORN, PEANUTS, RAISINS, CANDY....anything to keep you busy.
SUCKERS...still my favorite.
COMFY CLOTHES...loose fitting is best for me.
GOOD SEATS...aisle seats, or seats that have a ledge or bar to put your feet on
AROMAS....a little bottle of your favorite smell, or even a candle (NOT LIGHTED); just enough to make you inhale and smile and relax.
EXIT ROUTES AND BACK WALLS...plan for where you'll go, when the RLS gets really bad




Go to "Plan of Attack"

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