Muscle mischief and sleep drama: when the body plays up at night

There are few less gentle ways to be woken than by a calf cramp at three in the morning. The muscle contracts and will not let go, and suddenly you are wide awake in a dark bedroom, stretching.

The most common triggers are unspectacular: too little to drink, a demanding day on your legs, lying in the same position too long. Even a duvet pulled tight over the feet can force the foot into an extension for hours, leaving the calf shortened. That is often exactly where the cramp comes from.

Tense shoulders and a stiff neck usually have a different cause: the mattress does not yield enough at the shoulder, or the pillow does not match the sleeping position. Side sleepers need a higher pillow than back sleepers, otherwise the head tips all night. Anyone who wakes with the same ache they fell asleep with should look there first.

What helps before reaching for supplements: drink enough during the day, stretch the calves briefly in the evening, leave the duvet loose at the foot end, and avoid leaving the legs permanently overextended. If the cramps persist, occur very often, or come with other symptoms, that belongs with a doctor, not a bed shop.

What we can judge is what you lie on. A mattress that yields point by point lets shoulder and hip sink in and keeps the rest straight. Natural fillings additionally regulate the climate, so the body works less during the night. If you regularly wake up tense, that is a good reason to come and lie on a few beds.