What causes muscle cramps at night?

Night leg cramps - sudden, vise-like tightening of the calf or foot that jolts you awake - usually have no single dramatic cause. The everyday drivers: muscle fatigue from more activity than usual, long stretches of sitting or standing, dehydration, and simply getting older (they get more common with age). Pregnancy brings them on, especially later on. Some medications list them as a side effect - diuretics and statins among them. What to do in the moment: stretch and massage the muscle - for a calf cramp, straighten the leg and pull your toes up toward your shin, or stand and put weight on that leg. Painkillers will not stop a cramp mid-strike (they work too slowly) but acetaminophen or ibuprofen can ease the soreness left behind. Prevention has one best-evidenced move: calf stretches before bed - the NHS routine is leaning into a wall with the leg straight, holding the stretch, repeated for a few minutes, ideally three times a day with the last round just before bed. See a doctor if cramps are frequent and severe, come with leg swelling, redness or warmth, weakness, or numbness, or started with a new medication - persistent cramping occasionally points to circulation, nerve, or electrolyte issues. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you work out your pattern.