How to Diagnose Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is a sleep disorder that causes your limbs to move during slumber. No scientific conclusions have been made on the causes of the disorder or why severity varies from person to person. Since it disrupts a person's sleep, a diagnosis by a physician should be made.

Instructions

1. Note your symptoms. When you have PLMD, it causes your extremities to move in a rhythmic manner. The legs are often more affected by PLMD than the arms. Due to PLMD, you may often wake suddenly.

2. Ask a partner to observe you during sleep. Many patients may not realize that they are having any of the symptoms of PLMD. If you don't feel well rested, then ask a partner to take notes and relay any symptoms that they may notice while you're sleeping.

3. Make an appointment with your doctor or a sleep specialist to get a confirmed diagnosis, if you suspect PLMD.

4. Get blood work done. The blood work is used by the physician to rule out any other possible causes for the limb movement.

5. Undergo diagnostic testing. A polysomnogram is likely to be given to the patient for overnight analysis. This test measures bioelectrical signals in the body to tell how much rest the person is getting at night.

Tips & Warnings

• Certain medications may cause a person to suffer from PLMD. Patients on antidepressants have reported PLMD symptoms.

• The symptoms of PLMD can last only a few minutes to as long as several hours during the evening.