Q. I was troubled with severe leg cramps an hour or two after going to bed on the days when I’d exercised on the rowing machine. Then I read that people get relief by placing a bar of soap under the under the bed sheet near the legs. It worked, but the effectiveness of the soap seemed to diminish over time.
I wondered what might disappear from an ordinary soap bar. The one ingredient I could think of was glycerin. So I bought a bottle of it at the drugstore and tried rubbing some on the skin over my leg muscles, much like applying a moisturizing lotion. I found this eliminated cramping.
I even experimented by leaving one leg untreated; ouch, it cramped! Glycerin has been working for me about a year now. Perhaps others might find it as effective and more convenient than positioning soap bars in bed.
A. We appreciate home experimenters but we doubt glycerin would evaporate from your soap. Fragrance does dissipate and might explain why soap loses its cramp-relieving effects over time.
We have no idea how or why your approach would work, but glycerin is often used in skin care products and should not be harmful. Perhaps other readers will repeat your experiment and let us know how well glycerin works to prevent post-exercise muscle cramps.
If you are interested in a flat bar of soap designed not to disturb sleep when it is placed under the bottom sheet, consider our Bed Soap. It has a lovely lavender aroma and would make a thoughtful holiday gift.
9/3/18 redirected to: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/how-to-use-soap-in-bed-for-nighttime-leg-cramps/
