What causes sleep-related leg crossing syndrome?

Leg-rubbing syndrome during sleep is a habitual, abnormal behavior in children characterized primarily by squeezing the legs together and repeatedly rubbing the perineal area. It is usually caused by psychological factors, bad habits, or local irritation. The specific causes are analyzed as follows:

1. Psychological Factors

If the family environment is consistently tense, and the child lacks maternal love or experiences emotional dissatisfaction such as discrimination, with no toys to play with, they may seek emotional release through self-stimulation, leading to leg-squeezing behavior—also known as leg-rubbing syndrome during sleep.

2. Bad Habits

If a child develops bad habits such as exposure to pornographic images, their body's natural response might lead them to squeeze objects between their legs, such as bedding or pillows. This situation must be detected and corrected promptly.

3. Local Irritation

Local itching in the genital area caused by conditions such as vulvar eczema, pinworms, wet diapers, or tight clothing can lead to rubbing behavior, which may develop into leg-rubbing syndrome. In such cases, patients may apply medications like betamethasone dipropionate ointment or tacrolimus ointment externally under a doctor’s guidance to relieve symptoms.

In summary, leg-rubbing syndrome during sleep is triggered either by bad habits or underlying medical conditions. If caused by bad habits, it is recommended to correct these behaviors and maintain a regular sleep schedule. If due to a medical condition, timely medical consultation is necessary. Appropriate treatment should be chosen according to the doctor’s advice to prevent adverse effects on physical and mental health.