Do creepy-crawly feelings in your legs have you walking the night away? You may have restless legs syndrome.

For Walt Kowalski of Jackson, Mich., bedtime isn’t the relaxing end to the day, but the beginning of another nerve-jangling night with restless legs syndrome.

Soon after lying down, unpleasant electricity-like sensations creep into Kowalski’s legs. An urge to move grows and becomes irresistible.

The feelings force him to kick, move, or get up and walk. The unpleasant symptoms return and often keep him walking in the night, robbing him of sleep. [Symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome]

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is an often misunderstood neurological condition. Although it affects up to 10% of Americans, RLS has its skeptics. New research, though, is bringing new understanding and treatment to this sometimes debilitating disorder.

Until recently, most people had never heard of RLS. Even most physicians were in the dark. Many people learned about restless legs syndrome from watching TV advertisements for medicines that treat RLS. So, is restless legs syndrome just a “made-up” disease?

“Despite the trivial-sounding name, this is a very real disorder,” says Mark Buchfuhrer, MD, a nationally known expert on restless legs syndrome, who has treated hundreds of people with the condition over the past 15 years.