Written by Dr. Jeffrey Peng, MD — Board-Certified Sports Medicine Physician Published: March 3, 2026 | Last Updated: March 3, 2026 Nocturnal leg cramps are one of the most disruptive and painful conditions that affect sleep quality, particularly in older adults. These involuntary muscle contractions strike without warning, often jolting patients awake and leaving the affected leg sore for hours afterward. In my practice, patients frequently ask what they can do to prevent th