calf mussel(might b area but not sure) cramps while sleeping

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Occasionally while I sleep the calf mussel in my leg cramps up. I'm not sure if calf mussel is the rite spot or if it's something else; it's the area in back my leg above my ankle & alittle below the knee. It happens with both legs but usually it's just one at a time. This morning I was sleeping good & suddenly woke up with my right leg cramping a lot in that spot. I started moving around to get the cramp out & 1ce it started getting a tad better my left leg cramped up in the same spot so I then moved that to get the cramp out. My girlfriend gave me an Aleve I went back to sleep. I'm fine today except it feels a tad weird there but it's almost gone now. I cant think of anything I did yesterday that could of aggravated my legs or anything. Does anyone have any ideas on what's causing this & what I can do to prevent it

I used to get cramp in my calf muscles when sleeping.
To make the pain go away fast, you have to stretch that muscle, make your leg straight, then point your foot upwards as hard as you can so that you are stretching the calf.

I understand a lack of salt can cause cramp.
I no longer get it as I seem to be addicted to crisps these days.

It's called a "Charlie horse" and I have a tendency to get them too. I find that drinking a lot of water helps prevent them.

I get them all over. I think it is because my electrolytes are not what they ought to be.

I often get a Charlie horse in my calf, but only when super-dehydrated - that tends to happen sometimes though because I HATE drinking water, unfortunately! It has happened while sleeping. I find that an electrolyte supplement takes care of this. Even Gatorade.

My great aunt used to keep salt by her bed, so that when she got cramps at night she would lick some salt and according to her, it always worked.

I get cramps in my legs at night from time to time, I think everyone does, and I just do the getting out of bed and stretching my leg, foot and pointing my toes. It does often seem to go from one leg to the other.

Potassium shortage can cause leg cramps also. Bananas are good for potassium.

Maybe do an Internet search for restless leg syndrome?

And then, just the broad middle range on staying hydrated.

And maybe eating a banana or half a banana later in the day, and other items which replenish electrolytes, again without going overboard.

And if you take a shower sometime before bed anyway, maybe just extend it a little longer or use a little bit warmer water.

I've had occasional nighttime leg cramps over the last three or four years. Before that, they never happened at all.

As I understand it, their causes, when known, are usually quite distinct from those of leg cramps that happen during exercise. In many cases, there are no apparent causes at all.

I drink plenty water & I like salt so I don't think lack of either would cause it. I don't know much about electrolytes but I remember stumbling across stuff about em when researching either medication I'm on or health issues I have but don't remember what it was. I had problems with low blood-pressure in the past but not in a while thou it may be very slightly low. I don't know much about potassium either & won't rule it out because I don't eat bananas.
I have made that spot cramp up before by tightening the muscle a lot but I don't know why it would be tight while sleeping.

Here's a WebMD 4-page article on nighttime leg cramps:

http://www.m.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ ... iew?page=1

And here's this field experience guy, although not a doctor, recommending half gatorade and half water: