Here's Why You Should Put A Bar Of Soap Under Your Bedsheet

Sign In

TOI

TOI

• lifestyle
• relationship
• Health+
• style
• visual stories
• trending
• parenting
• soul search
• beauty
• books
• recipes
• food news
• travel
• home & garden
• events
• spotlight

• health news
• fitness
• diet
• mental health
• coronavirus
• alternative therapies
• weight loss
• videos
• diseases
• yoga

• News
• lifestyle
• health-fitness
• photo-stories
• Here’s why you should put a bar of soap under your bedsheet

TrendingIndian BreakfastsDubai AirportVegetarian DishesLunar Eclipse Timing IndiaJapanese Sweet Potato RecipeAmit GoseZone 2 CardioViral Temple VideoQatar AirwaysCervical Cancer PreventionIndian BreakfastsDubai AirportVegetarian DishesLunar Eclipse Timing IndiaJapanese Sweet Potato RecipeAmit GoseZone 2 CardioViral Temple VideoQatar AirwaysCervical Cancer PreventionIndian BreakfastsDubai AirportVegetarian DishesLunar Eclipse Timing IndiaJapanese Sweet Potato RecipeAmit GoseZone 2 CardioViral Temple VideoQatar AirwaysCervical Cancer PreventionHere’s why you should put a bar of soap under your bedsheetTNN / Updated: Nov 13, 2017, 13:27 ISTShareAA+Text Size

• Small
• Medium
• Large

Follow us

1/7

When you must put a bar of soap under your bedsheet

A lot of people face it – cramping in legs at night. Restless leg syndrome or nightley leg cramps, both are infamous for causing discomfort in your legs while you are resting. For the ones who go through it, it can be extremely frustrating as it can lead to poor sleep and a lot of pain to deal with. And here we tell you how by simply placing a bar of soap, you can reduce the symptoms of the leg cramps to a great extent!

2/7

​Leg cramps or restless leg syndrome?

LEG CRAMPS OR RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME? Firstly, you need to distinguish between the cause of the cramps in your legs. Normal leg cramps can be due to dehydration, exercising excessively or any deficiencies in the body. However, restless leg syndrome is a case of a neurological disorder which isn’t related to any of the above causes. Instead, it may be caused by alcohol intake, kidney problem, diabetes or due to pregnancy. Placing the bar of soap can help you alleviate the symptoms in both the cases, however, if you have the former case, you can also try supplements, staying hydrated and not over-straining your body.

3/7

​The soap method

THE SOAP METHOD: A study was conducted to test the efficiency of the soap test and about 42 per cent of the participants experienced an improvement in their symptoms. All they had to do was place soap in your bed before going to sleep. You can go for fragrances which are soothing in nature, such as lavender.

4/7

​Why the method works

WHY THE METHOD WORKS: Investigation is going on to know why the soap method worked for almost half the participants in the study. Some attributed it to the magnesium content in the soap as leg cramps are quite often caused by magnesium deficiency. But how the magnesium of the soap treated a deficiency in the body is still not clear.

5/7

​Placebo?

PLACEBO? Many believe that the only reason behind working of this method is the placebo effect. That is, you believe that the soap works and so it does, without any actual scientific backing.

6/7

​Is it all about the smell?

IS IT ALL ABOUT THE SMELL? A study was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine where they concluded that the soap effect came from the smell of the soap and not the soap itself. They even tested the soap method on menstruating women who had severe cramps and they said that the soap smell did have an anti-spasmodic effect. Smell therapy has even been proven to reduce the symptoms of epilepsy and so, many believe that leg cramps is only a minor issue that can easily be cured with smells.

7/7

​Other methods

OTHER METHODS: Taking warm water bath before sleeping, massages, staying hydrated and eating the right food can also help you keep leg cramps at bay.

Follow Us On Social Media

Photostories

• 1
• 2
• 3

lifestyle videos

32:03

32:03

27:30

13:05

16:34

04:34

06:37

03:19

04:48

07:18

08:08

06:47

03:20

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

More Videos

Featured In lifestyle

MORE FROM ETIMES

life & styleSrikanth BollaHoli 2026Ram DassCervical CancerZone 2 CardioLiving and entertainmentETimesTravel DestinationsCricbuzz.comTVLifestyleNewspaper SubscriptionFood NewsTimes PrimeWhats HotServicesCouponDuniaTechGigTimesJobsBollywood NewsTimes MobileGadgetsWork with UsColombiaHot on the WebThe Kerala Story 2Suriya HouseThaai KizhaviVijayVikram HouseRashmika MandannaAjith Kumar HouseChiranjeeviTrisha KrishnanLunar Eclipse Timing IndiaLunar Eclipse 2026Lunar Eclipse TimingChoti Holi WishesChandra Grahan 20262026 Lunar EclipseSai Pallavi HouseSunil Bharti MittalQatar AirportHair Growth OilsIran Travel Alert'O'Romeo' Box Office CollectionMumbai AirportLunar Eclipse City Wise TimingsHikmet KayaYoung Sherlock ReviewHoroscope TodayThe 50The Bluff Movie ReviewBorder 2 Movie ReviewTu Yaa Main Movie ReviewToday Gold Rate in ChennaiDelhi Weather TodayDelhi AQI TodayMumbai AQI TodayMaharashtra Public Holidays 2026Anthropic Ceo Dario AmodeiBaba VangaClaude DownClaude AI In WarQuote Of The Day By Louis PasteurTotal Lunar EclipseTrending TopicsLatest MoviesBollywood MoviesHollywood MoviesTamil Movies 2026Telugu Movies 2026Malayalam Movies 2026Kannada MoviesMarathi MoviesBengali Movies 2026Top Rated Movies 2026Best Hindi MoviesBest English MoviesBest Telugu MoviesBest Tamil MoviesBest Malayalam MoviesBest Kannada MoviesBest Bengali MoviesUpcoming Hindi MoviesBest Movies Of All TimeBest Hindi Movies of All TimeLatest English MoviesLatest Malayalam MoviesEnglish TV NewsTamil TV NewsTelugu TV NewsMalayalam TV NewsKannada TV NewsMovie ReviewsBhojpuri Cinema NewsGujarati Cinema NewsPopular CategoriesViral NewsK Pop NewsWeb Series NewsAnime NewsUpcoming English MoviesUpcoming Tamil MoviesUpcoming Telugu MoviesUpcoming Malayalam MoviesUpcoming Kannada MoviesFashion TipsTravel NewsEntertainment NewsBollywood NewsTollywood NewsKollywood NewsMollywood NewsFood NewsLatest Hindi MoviesLatest Tamil MoviesParenting TipsHome RemediesWeight LossBeauty TipsParenting TipsHindi VideosHindi Video SongsBhojpuri Music VideosLatest Telugu MoviesBhojpuri Music VideoHindi TV NewsLatest NewsFact check: Did Cardi B publicly respond to Stefon Diggs during her show?Did Johan Rojas fail a drug test? Troubling report around Phillies outfielder raises big questions about 2026 MLB seasonGas leak in Maharashtra: Over 2,000 locals in Palghar district evacuated; probe under wayAamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan discuss Ranveer Singh–Farhan Akhtar's Don 3 fallout in closed-door meeting - ReportMarch 2026 Lunar Eclipse creates rare 500-year yoga: 3 Zodiac signs likely to gain, 3 that should move carefullyFor Trump, there was no ‘Maduro effect’. There’s unlikely to be any ‘Khamenei effect’5 Things to do before, during and after Lunar EclipseAir India Express to resume Muscat flights from March 3; Gulf routes remain suspended amid Middle East tensionsCan Holika Dahan be done in Bhadra? Astrological rules and consequences explainedOliver Rowland exits Dubai for the desert amid Middle East tensions: “Better safe than sorry”Happy Choti Holi 2026: 51 Best Holi Wishes, Messages, Quotes and Images to share with friends and familyA new God of War RPG starring Faye is rumored to be Cory Barlog’s next projectStuck in Dubai, PV Sindhu pulls out of All England amid rising tensions in Middle EastMiddle East oil shock risks: How much do China, India, Japan depend on Middle Eastern crude, gas?CA Foundation, Inter results 2026 to release on THIS date: Check details here'His 19th over was underrated': Ashwin on Arshdeep SinghMiddle East on edge: PM Modi speaks to Saudi, Bahrain leaders; thank them for safeguarding Indian community'Right time to stay in India': H-1B Redditor asks if people working in India are saving more than those in USCopyright © 2026 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication ServiceFollow us on