Some other types are barely absorbed at all.

It figures that it's magnesium deficiency. My magnesium is always low and don't know why.

water, milk, or juice, even if its a couple of times a night. Low levels of Potassium and Magnesium also contribute.
Also, hydrate your feet with lotion.

but you have to get up to pee five times each night.

Calms the nervous system.

It sure does help relax.

I was actually surprised when a friend gave me some magnesium spray to see if it helped my RLS. Magnesium supplements taken orally didn't help me at all, so I wasn't expecting the magnesium spray to work. I was shocked when I found that spraying the magnesium spray on my legs if I woke up with RLS actually helped me go back to sleep within 5-10 minutes.

People who don't suffer RLS don't understand how debilitating it can be. When I have a really bad bout I can be up literally all night, sometimes my legs bugging me so much I have to get up and do deep knee bends at 2:00 am.

The magnesium spray would get rid of the RLS sensation. It doesn't prevent my waking up with RLS, but it does help the RLS symptoms go away faster and get back to sleep.

Now that we're discussing magnesium, I don't have restless leg issues since I upped my magnesium intake.

Also, re Magnesium Oil, I make my own. Simple mix of magnesium chloride flakes and water, mix and put in a spray bottle. I have a lot of trouble with muscle spasms due to spinal stenosis, and the spray really knocks down the muscle spasms so I can get back to sleep.

The magnesium chloride flakes are not expensive and you can find DYI instructions online. This form of magnesium is much more potent than Epsom salts. Magnesium 'oil' is not oily at all, it just feels slippery as you rub it in. It is often used as a massage 'oil' as it sorta lubricates the hands touching the areas to be treated.

It gave me RLS

I have had RL for decades. I used to drink milk when it struck, but recently I discovered a scientific study that said extra iron helps many and it really worked for me. The compression stockings were recommended by a friend.

I've suffered from RLS since a teenager as has my sister and my brother.

Nothing works to "cure" my RLS but certain things have helped:

1) Make sure to drink water during the day. If I forget to hydrate it's a sure bet my RLS will be worse that night.

2) Magnesium supplements didn't work for me, but surprisingly magnesium spray rubbed into my legs actually helped. I say "surprisingly" because I felt I had tried everything and magnesium spray seemed more like a gimmick. But, was desperate so tried it, and it actually helped. I keep a bottle next to my bed and if I wake up with RLS I spray on my legs and rub it in. I can go back to sleep within about 5 minutes.

3) Ambien on occasion. Ambien is the only sleep medication that helps me. I've found I sometimes have to take Ambien if I have several nights in a row of RLS.

Years ago a medication for RLS was released, the brand name was "Requip" (generic: ropinirole). The first night it seemed a miracle but quickly the side effects made the medication worse than RLS. I would forget where I was at times, my RLS symptoms "augmented" in that I started having RLS during the day (which I'd never had before taking Requip). So I'd be really careful with the dopamine agonists like Requip or Mirapex.

I use Now brand, two 100 mg chewables at bedtime. It does something with the GABA connection. If I take gabapentin, I’m a moron the next day. This doesn’t have that effect.
Hyland’s also makes a good homeopathic thing—I take that with me to concerts and movies so I’m not endlessly crossing and uncrossing my legs. It’s called Restful Legs.

My great grandmother had it, my sisters have it and I have it.

I have not found any absolute remedies, but sometimes I take
mucuna pruriens (I get it in powder form)

My kitchen sink approach of throwing a whole bunch of things at it at the same time means I don't know what works and what doesn't. But I have fewer bad nights when I am regularly taking a multi vitamin and an extra B complex. I take an organic form of iron sometimes but I can't tell if it helps. I don't eat meat so my iron levels may not be that good. Also:

Magnesium (despite all the reports online that it doesn't help)
Potassium
Ginkgo
Citicholine
Vitamin E
Selenium
Vitamin K

And more, but it's so random. My method is so half-assed and irresponsible I don't recommend it. But it's always worthwhile to check out the Reddit forum on Restless Legs and see what is working for whom, or if there are any new studies.

One of my sisters takes prescription medication for it ad swears it has helped her. I am guessing it is a dopamine agonist, but I'm not sure.

Good luck! It really can be a living hell sometimes.

EDIT: This is really important:

Both melatonin and Benadryl (and the active ingredient in Benadryl) can exacerbate RLS. That ingredient is also the main ingredient in many OTC sleep remedies. And there are a handful of prescription medications that make RLS significantly worse. You might just check to make sure nothing you are taking regularly is making the problem worse.

At one point in the summer of 2023, it kept her up all night for days. She's disabled after a stroke and she struggled with her iron levels. Low iron affects RLS.

We tried magnesium spray. Her iron levels are okay. Magnesium was fine too. Nothing was working.

She couldn't take Gabapentin or almost anything else because of her other medication.

What worked for her until it didn't was Pregabalin. It stopped working well in 2023 and her doctor didn't want to increase the dosage.

Fast forward to last year, new doctor who does in-home visits, her Pregabalin was increased incrementally and she barely has RLS. It bothers her a few times a month and is no longer severe.

When I say hers were severe, she started to scream that summer, was unable to sleep even when exhausted. It was like her legs were possessed.

We're so happy it's no longer an issue.