How To Improve Circulation In Legs While Sleeping [2024]

Your health depends on good blood flow, but it’s not always easy to get your blood moving, especially when you’re sleeping.

Your muscles, heart, and lungs all need a steady flow of blood to do their important jobs and get rid of waste produced by the body. For example, Immune system cells need good circulation so they can move around the body and fight off diseases and infections. Without proper blood flow, your body can’t work as well as it should be able to do.

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Read on to find out how to improve circulation in the legs while sleeping.

1. Position Your Body

If you usually sit with your legs crossed, you could be negatively affecting the blood flow in your lower body. This common position cuts off blood flow to the legs, making it harder for blood to get to the tissues in your legs to keep them healthy and may decrease their functioning.

mprove Circulation In Legs While Sleeping

Every part of the body requires a good flow of blood to function properly. Make it a habit to sit in a way that is better for blood circulation.

Try the following methods to sit that help the blood flow through your veins: Place your feet on the floor with a little space between your legs. Don’t forget to get up every so often so that you don’t stay in this position for too long.

Additionally, you can also prop your legs up a little to help the blood flow. Put your feet up six to twelve inches off the ground on a stool or Ottoman.

Furthermore, putting your legs up on a pillow while you sleep will help the blood flow. Also, this position is good for your back.

2. Perform exercises while lying

Here are three exercises you can do while lying down.

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These exercises can be extremely helpful if you have to stay in bed for a long time, like after surgery, or if you need to keep the blood flowing in your legs to prevent blood clots for any other reason.

Ankle Pumping

Flex your foot to move your toes up while lying on your back with your feet facing straight ahead. Perform this exercise once every hour ten times a day. This can be done by flexing one foot at a time or with both feet at once.

Knee Bends

Laying on your back with your feet facing straight ahead, bring one knee up to your chest and back down. Repeat this exercise with the other leg. And perform this exercise 10 times in a row. Additionally, do the knee bends again, at least once an hour.

Leg lifts

When you’re on your back and your legs are straight out in front of you, bend one knee while keeping the other foot flat. Keep the other leg straight and “locked.”

And lift the other leg up until your knees are at the same level. Bring the leg down in a slow controlled manner. Perform this exercise 10 times a day. Repeat this exercise with the other leg. You can perform more repetitions as you progress.

So, start out by pumping your ankles and bending your knees. As you progress, add in other exercises that will help you get stronger. A doctor or nurse can help you set up a routine that works for your condition.

3. Put on compression Stockings

improve Circulation In Legs While Sleeping

Compression stockings can help your blood flow, decrease pain and swelling, and make your legs feel better[1]. Compression is very important if you have a job that necessitates you to sit or stand all day. If you put too much weight on your legs or don’t move enough, it can hurt your overall health and circulation.

Compression stockings make your legs’ muscles contract and relax all the time, just like when you walk. This increases blood flow to your legs.

4. Take care of your stress

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Stress can hurt your mental and physical health, including the way your blood flows through your body. Find ways to deal with stress, like working out, listening to music, taking deep breaths, meditating, or seeing a therapist.

5. Take a Sauna Bath

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With a Sauna bath, your body’s blood circulation can be improved in thirty minutes. Simply slip into a warm bathtub and allow your body to unwind. You will be astonished by the invigorating bath. The warm water in the bathtub will help widen your body’s veins and arteries, improving blood circulation.

However, ensure that the water temperature is not excessively high, as this might cause skin irritation and inflammation. If leg pain or varicose vein concerns persist due to poor blood circulation, it is essential to visit a professional.

6. A Balanced Diet

A balanced diet works wonders for your circulation in addition to improving your general health [2]. If you consume an excessive number of fatty meals, the bad cholesterol and plaque clog your arteries and make blood flow more difficult. But salads are not your only option; there are other items to consider:

Citrus fruits improve the capillary walls of the blood and prevent plaque formation.

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Whole grains aid with cholesterol reduction.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish aid in lowering cholesterol levels, plaque formation, and blood clots.

Garlic reduces cholesterol buildup, particularly in the arteries of the legs.

Cayenne pepper increases metabolic rate and strengthens arteries and blood vessels.

Clearly, there are numerous strategies to improve your nutrition without sacrificing flavor.

7. Take A Walk

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By walking, the veins in your legs constrict, facilitating blood flow and reducing blood pressure. Additionally, these endorphins might help you relax before bedtime!

8. Drinking Plenty of Water

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In addition to keeping, you healthy, drinking more water improves your circulatory system. When your body is severely dehydrated, it prioritizes getting blood to your heart, which strains your circulation.

You can increase your water intake by drinking water when you wake up and a glass one to two hours before bedtime. This is also one of the finest strategies to prevent foot cramps, which always occur when you are falling asleep.

9. When you are seated

These exercises can be performed while sitting at a desk, in a car, or on an airplane.

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Heel and toe raise

While seated with both feet flat on the floor in front of you, elevate the heels of both feet and hold for three seconds. Repeat this exercise at least ten times. Repeat the elevation of feet but this time with the toes of both feet raised.

This exercise can be varied by alternating heel raises and toe raises in a rocking motion. Or simultaneously raise the heel of one foot and the toes of the other foot.

Ankle rotation

While seated with both feet on the ground, slightly elevate one foot. Rotate the ankle ten times clockwise, then ten times counterclockwise. Repeat this exercise using the opposite foot.

Leg stretch

While seated with both feet on the ground, extend one leg in front of you. Raise your toes inward and flex your ankle. Hold the stretch for three seconds before lowering your foot to the ground. Repeat this exercise at least 10 times. Additionally, try to repeat this exercise on the opposite leg, ten times. You can also perform this exercise by switching legs.

Strap or belt stretch

You can also stretch your calf manually with an exercise strap or any comfortable length of cloth, such as a towel or belt. Place your legs straight out in front of you on the floor (or in bed). Encircle the middle of one foot with a strap and grasp its ends. While maintaining a straight leg, pull the strap until a stretch is felt in the calf.

Maintain the stretch for around thirty seconds. Repeat three times, allowing your foot to relax between each repetition.

Foam roller stretch

The same movements used to decrease muscle tension and stretch muscles with a foam roller can also improve blood flow.

Place a soft foam roller under your ankles and roll it under your calves while seated on the ground.

Place a soft roller beneath your thighs and roll it under your hamstrings while seated on the ground.

Alternately, while seated on the floor or in a chair, you can move a massage roller stick with your hands over the same areas of your legs. Avoid crossing your joints or skeletal areas.

10. Get a Massage

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Massage can be an effective (not to mention relaxing) treatment for impaired foot and body circulation. In one study, massages were shown to alleviate muscle soreness and increase blood flow[3]. According to the study, the massages appeared to induce a vascular response that persisted for days. The circulatory response was not restricted to the application site alone.

References

Stein, P. D., Matta, F., Yaekoub, A. Y., Ahsan, S. T., Badshah, A., Younas, F., & Denier, J. E. (2010). Effect of compression stockings on venous blood velocity and blood flow. Thrombosis and haemostasis, 103(01), 138-144.
Hamada, Y., Kashima, H., & Hayashi, N. (2014). The number of chews and meal duration affect diet‐induced thermogenesis and splanchnic circulation. Obesity, 22(5), E62-E69.
Gasibat, Q., & Suwehli, W. (2017). Determining the benefits of massage mechanisms: a review of the literature. Rehabilitation Sciences, 3(2), 58-67.

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