Restless Leg Syndrome Awareness Day (September 23) has a theme of "education", with Sleep Disorders Australia hoping to build greater awareness with medical practitioners and the general public.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterised by an irresistible urge to move legs and other parts of the body. The urge is often accompanied by unpleasant sensations such as tingling or crawling feelings inside the legs
Symptoms most often occur in the evening and can severely disrupt sleep and reduce quality of life.
RLS Awareness Day has been staged in other parts of the world for some years, but this is only the second time it is being held in Australia. Sleep Disorders Australia (SDA) says there remains much to do in this country in building greater understanding of the disorder.
"There is so little known or understood about RLS and that needs to change," SDA said in a statement to mark the awareness day.
"This is an opportunity to raise awareness and educate the medical community and the general public of not just what RLS is, but also how it affects people who suffer from it."
SDA, founded in 1996, is a not-for-profit patient organisation for sleep disorders.
