One of the most common questions we’re asked by customers, members and seminar attendees is what to do about legs falling asleep when you have to sit for a long period of time.

Many people ask this question in reference to road trips. As bigger people, they dislike flying due to the hassle and stress of having to ask attendants for Airplane Belt Extenders and the potential of being asked to pay for a second seat, so they and their significant others take a lot of road trips to travel. And that’s great.

But one problem with road trips is that you have to sit for a long time in the car, and sitting for a long time gets tough for people of any size, but especially for larger people with larger and heavier legs that are more prone to falling asleep.

When your legs fall asleep it’s due to a lack of sufficient blood flow, which also causes cramping and DVT, or Deep Vein Thrombosis, which is effectively an aneurism somewhere other than your brain. None of that is good or comfortable and so I want to offer four solutions for this problem.

1. Water  Drink a lot of water. Water stimulates blood flow, and heck, it’s good for you - especially if you’re the driver because it keeps you more alert. Obviously, one of the downsides to drinking a lot of water in the car is that it makes you have to pee a lot. Thus, if you’re trying to make great time, it’s not necessarily the optimal solution. But when you think about it, if sitting too long is part of the problem, then having to get up and pee more often is also part of the solution. And in the meantime water will help keep your legs and extremities from falling asleep and growing uncomfortable.

2. Massagers/Scratchers  This is the number one thing we recommend. Massagers stimulate blood flow from the outside by creating sensation on your skin. This makes all the difference in the world. Not only does it feel good and relax the muscles but also it makes blood flow better all over your legs. For the top of the legs, which are more accessible, it’s best to try a knob massager like this. However, for the bottom parts of the legs we recommend our combination Bamboo Backscratchers and Massagers. These dual purpose items allow you to scratch itches that are all over and when you turn them around, serve as massagers that extend your reach nearly 20”.

3. Angled Pillows  There are special pillows that are often designed with people in wheelchairs in mind, but they’re good for anyone who sits for a long period of time - we use them in our offices (we use many of our products in our offices, like our high weight capacity desk chairs and Cool Mesh Back Supports - don’t tell the boss!). They are angled and contoured to take pressure off of the legs and keep blood flow as natural as possible. When coupled with a massager, these contoured sitting pillows make a huge difference.

4. Legs-ercises  As I said when discussing the water, getting up and moving makes a huge difference in blood flow and legs falling asleep when you’re sitting for long periods of time. There are a variety of basic movements that you can do to keep blood flowing and eliminate pressure. Try a variety of things, and see what works best. The trick is to start doing legs-ercises before you feel the pain and pressure of sitting for long periods of time. One practice is to squeeze your muscles and then release them, isolating different areas and moving up and down the legs. Also try walking your legs in place by lifting the toes and heel back and forth. Any kind of regular movement that you can do to stimulate blood flow is great. Just make a concerted effort to do so every 15 or 30 minutes. Perhaps set an alarm to remind you.

Now, each of these ideas alone is useful, but when combined with each other they become all the more powerful at mitigating the discomfort of sitting for extended periods of time.

Try them out and let us know what you think. Do you have ways of keeping your legs from falling asleep and hurting that you can share with us? Do so in the comments below!

Back to the Store Blog

We promote and spread the healthiness and happiness that you deserve through our welcoming community, certified experts and empowering programs. But More of Me to Love is more than the sum of its parts: it’s a lifestyle of living better and loving yourself. For more, check out the About page.