Many of us are all too familiar with that unexpected jolt from slumber—the sharp pain coursing through your leg that disrupts your peaceful sleep.

The sensation often takes you by surprise: a sudden contraction in the calf kicking you awake, leaving you to ponder what caused your muscles to seize up as you lay in bed.

Such nocturnal cramps are a common experience, yet they can be quite a nuisance, making it difficult to enjoy uninterrupted rest.

Although these spasms can be unsettling at the time, they’re generally easy to mitigate and are rarely indicative of a serious health issue, as explained by the Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Mohammed Emam, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation sports medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, shared with Daily Mail that, ‘Usually, these are mere calf cramps at night with no singular explanation behind their occurrence.’

While many people automatically assume dehydration or a deficiency in vitamins or electrolytes, the reality is often less about what you’re lacking and more about how your muscles are resting.

Why Does it Happen More Frequently at Night?

If your muscles function normally throughout the day, it is natural to wonder why they choose the deepest hours of sleep to cramp. 

According to Emam, the issue often comes down to positioning and prolonged inactivity. 

‘Lying down with toes pointed, puts the calf muscle in its shortest, most contracted position for a longer period of time, which seems to predispose it to firing off a cramp,’ he explains.

During the day, walking and movement keep your muscles continuing through a steady rhythm of stretching and contracting. 

At night, this movement stops and if you sleep with your feet pointed downward or tucked under heavy covers, your calf muscles remain in a shortened state for hours, making your legs more prone to cramping, according to Medlink Neurology.

Beyond that, Emam notes that cramps can also be triggered by an unusually active day that the body isn’t accustomed to, such as a long walk or standing for extended periods.

When Should You Be Concerned?

While the occasional cramp is usually harmless, there are times when it warrants a deeper look. Distinguishing between an annoying, temporary spasm and a signal for medical attention is key.

‘A classic nighttime cramp shows up in the calf and can switch sides from night to night, so a cramp or pain that always affects the same leg, especially if that leg also looks swollen, warm, or red, is worth mentioning to a physician,’ Emam told Daily Mail.

If you are concerned, consider these red flags:

Persistent patterns: Cramps that occur nearly every night or are severe enough to disrupt sleep consistently.

Physical symptoms: Numbness, tingling, weakness, or visible swelling of muscles in the area.

Medication changes: ‘Timing is another clue: if the cramps started around the same time as a new medication, that’s worth reporting to the prescribing physician,’ Emam adds. 

Certain medications, including some anti-inflammatories, statins, diuretics, iron infusions, and asthma inhalers, are known to potentially cause cramps.

Systemic symptoms: Cramping accompanied by unexplained weight loss, fever or increased fatigue may indicate other underlying health issues.

Various other factors: Conditions like poor circulation, spinal narrowing in the lower back, or neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease can also be linked to more frequent episodes, according to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association.

Managing and Preventing Cramps

When a leg cramp strikes at 3am, the most effective response is to work against the contraction, and a few simple moves tend to help. 

‘Firmly stretching the calf by pulling the toes and foot up toward the shin is the main one, and standing up to walk it off does something similar,’ says Emam. 

He also suggests that gentle massage or the application of heat, such as a warm shower or heating pad, can help relax the muscle.

For those looking to prevent these nightly interruptions, creating a routine that keeps muscles limber is a smart approach. 

‘Strategies that may help include a short nightly stretch, gently stretching the calf and hamstring for a minute or two before bed,’ Emam suggests.

Other helpful preventative measures include light activity, such as a short walk in the evening, which can help keep muscles ready for rest.

Sleep positioning also matters. Using a pillow to ensure your feet are not forced into a downward-pointed position can prevent the ‘shortened muscle’ effect.

Lastly, hydration is important. Staying hydrated and limiting excessive alcohol intake, which can make muscles more irritable. 

In fact, a study in the Annals of Family Medicine identified an association between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and nocturnal leg cramps in patients aged 60 years and older.

Does Magnesium Work?

You may have heard that magnesium can be a hack for leg cramps, but research published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews examined the use of magnesium for muscle cramps.

Researchers noted that the evidence regarding its specific effectiveness for preventing nocturnal leg cramps in the general population remains inconclusive. 

Emam echoes this finding, noting that ‘magnesium is a popular supplement some people use. It is generally considered safe, but there is no strong evidence that supports it [for muscle cramping].’

The Bottom Line

Overall, nighttime leg cramps are most often harmless, but they can significantly interfere with sleep and quality of life. 

They are commonly related to muscle positioning, prolonged rest, or recent changes in activity level. 

Regular stretching, attention to sleep posture, hydrating and monitoring for recurring patterns may help reduce episodes. 

However, cramps that are frequent, severe, consistently affect one leg, or occur with swelling, redness, weakness, tingling, persistent pain, or other systemic symptoms should be evaluated by a doctor to rule out an underlying medical condition.

Tragedy struck Kentucky on Saturday evening during a mass shooting at an outdoor concert in Lexington, tragically claiming one life and injuring four others, including two children.

The chaos unfolded just over a mile away from where Governor Andy Beshear was presenting at the Kentucky Democratic Party’s Moving Forward Together dinner held at the Hyatt Regency. Local station FOX56 reported that gunfire shattered the evening’s peace in downtown Lexington.

Governor Beshear addressed the unsettling news with the audience, saying, “Before I continue, I do need to let y’all know we have some difficult news tonight.”

He elaborated from the podium, “About a mile and a half from here, a shooting took place since we started this dinner.”

Discussing the incident further, he added, “We have five people who sustained injuries, and there is likely one person who has passed away.”

Multiple victims, including two adults, a 14-year-old, and a 4-year-old, were shot around 6:45 p.m. in Charles Young Park and were transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

An outdoor concert event was taking place when the shooting occurred, according to the Lexington Herald Leader. 

A Lexington Police Department Spokesperson told the Daily Mail that the investigation was ongoing around 10:00 p.m. local time.

“No further details are available at this time,” the department said.

“If you know somebody who might be inclined to use a weapon, please do anything you can do to let us know before something happens. Please let us know,” Chief Weathers said at a press conference.

The Charles Young Park shooting follows three others in Michigan, Virginia and Chicago on Saturday. 

Phone calls from the boss can jerk you awake as early as 2 AM. By the time dawn breaks at 6 AM, any hope of more sleep has already slipped away.

Professional blow-dry sessions await, followed by meticulous layers of makeup application, and the deliberation over which designer ensemble to wear. In Donald Trump’s White House, appearance is nearly as prized as competence.

One woman, familiar with the inner workings of Trump’s circle, described the aesthetic demands as striving to achieve nothing short of ‘MAGA perfect.’

These polished looks and dazzling smiles are exactly what the public encounters when the cadre of intelligent women representing the Trump administration join the President on television, whether at MAGA rallies or during press briefings.

However, within a White House frequently accused of misogyny and the shadow of its leader’s alleged sexual misconduct, the everyday reality for those who serve there starkly contrasts the public facade.

Limited pay for demanding, 24/7 roles. No time to raise a family. And, of course, an implicit requirement to spend considerable amounts of their time and hard-earned cash on their appearance.

To pull back the curtain on life as a Republican ‘glamazon’ at the heart of US politics, several former female staffers have described, in confidence, what it is really like to The Mail on Sunday.

Summed up in a word? Exhausting. ‘It gets to be utterly draining,’ as one burned-out employee admitted to me last week. 

‘You have to be exceptional at your job, which is a given, but if you’re a woman you have to look a certain way, dress a certain way and be available 24/7, because this is a President who barely sleeps.

‘Add to that the pressure of a family at home and it’s no wonder so many of us flame out.’

That tension was laid bare just last week when Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s formidable press secretary, announced she was leaving the White House to become a full-time mother to her two young children. 

The 28-year-old admitted her decision was ‘bittersweet’, saying that since returning to the White House following the birth of her daughter in May she felt she could not be the mother her baby and two-year-old son deserved – while simultaneously giving the job the ‘constant time, energy and attention’ it required. 

It was a remarkably candid admission from someone who has become one of the most recognisable women in Trump’s Washington. 

Despite that, Leavitt was photographed on Friday night, looking fiercely chic in a scarlet-red dress alongside the President as they prepared to board Air Force One to New York. She is due to step down this month.

And she is not the first to do so even this year alone.

In fact, six women from Trump’s inner circle have left since January: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem, Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson and Director of Media Affairs Sonny Joy Nelson.

But perhaps it is little wonder. Quite aside from the normal pressures of a high-powered job in government, 80-year-old Trump is a man known for objectifying women (who can forget his famous ‘grab her by the p***y’ remark?) who is infamous for demanding total fealty, has unrelenting, exacting standards, and who sleeps only four hours a night. 

He is known for throwing ‘tantrums’ when things don’t go his way and expects those closest to him to be available all hours of the day and night.

And it is also no accident, commentators say, that the women elevated to work for Trump – who, in a previous life, owned the Miss Universe contest – are all beautiful, perfectly manicured and extremely capable.

Those who spoke to the MoS did so on condition of anonymity because their subsequent roles are within Trump-supporting organisations. 

The enduring fallout of working at the heart of the Maga movement under such a ‘polarising’ boss is such that many discovered they were viewed as a ‘liability’ by some employers, particularly blue-chip companies. Others have left the workplace completely.

A legal source said: ‘The President is always ‘on’. When he wants someone he shouts your name. And you’d better come running. He thinks nothing of calling you at 2am. 

‘You are expected to look a certain way. Most of the women at the White House get their hair blown out at least twice a week before work and then there is pressure to go to the gym and dress well. 

‘A lot of the younger aides don’t make that much money. You’re talking maybe $50,000 [£37,000] to $70,000 [£52,000] a year. It’s not only a stressful business working in Trump’s world – it’s an expensive one.’

For Karoline Leavitt, sources suggest, the pressure of her job while juggling two very young children simply got too much.

One source said Trump was so ‘dependent’ on her he ‘constantly’ called her during her most recent maternity leave, asking when she would return.

During her first maternity break she returned to work three days after giving birth because of the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Karoline told an interviewer: ‘I had the baby in my arms and I looked at my husband and said: ‘I guess I’ll be going back to work.”

Another source close to the President’s inner circle said: ‘I don’t think Karoline minded being called but I think reality set in this time around. 

‘She’s always going to be expected to put the President first and maybe it’s time to put her kids first?’ Other women have been open about their time in Trump’s corridors of power.

For Blanche Sprague, who served as his high-powered executive and enforcer long before he became a force in politics, no time of day was off-limits for a call.

Now 67, Sprague has described her role as ‘like a nanny’ dealing with Trump’s petty grievances and requests.

 ‘He used to call me up at night and say, ‘Did you know that there’s a soda bottle in front of Trump Plaza?’ and I would have to make sure that it was picked up right away because he would drive past again to see that it was gone,’ she recalled.

On another occasion, at a book signing in Florida following the publication of Trump’s The Art Of The Deal in 1987, Sprague’s task was to make sure his favourite pen, with robin’s egg blue ink, did not run out. 

More recently, Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, has credited her upbringing with an alcoholic father for her ability to work alongside Trump.

While the President does not drink, Wiles said that he had an ‘alcoholic’s [exaggerated] personality’ and governs with the mindset that ‘there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing’.

Meanwhile, other published accounts of life in his inner circle give more troubling insights into his alleged behaviour.

Stephanie Grisham, who worked as press secretary during Trump’s first term – and became First Lady Melania’s right-hand woman – wrote a scathing memoir, I’ll Take Your Questions Now, in which she accused the President of constantly berating her, describing his anger as ‘terrifying’. 

‘I began to see how his temper wasn’t just for shock value or the cameras,’ she wrote. 

‘I began to regret my decision to go to the West Wing.’ In one outburst, she said, Trump ‘unleashed on me’.

‘His eyes were fixed and filled with anger. His face had passed red and was turning almost purple.’

She also accused him of allegedly targeting young female employees, including a press aide who he invited into his private Air Force One cabin because he ‘wanted to look at her a**’.

But Trump has dismissed Grisham as a disgruntled former employee who had become ‘angry and bitter’ and was ‘paid by a radical Left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things’.

There is another way of looking at Trump’s interest in women, of course. The ‘dichotomy’ with Trump, as one source points out, is that – while he clearly loves being surrounded by brilliant, feisty (and good-looking) women – he is also a champion of their skills.

One said he had ‘always promoted women to senior positions, going all the way back to his early days in business’.

Many of the women who have worked for him are only too happy to acknowledge this fact.

One said: ‘You have to remember, this is a man who had two women – Kellyanne Conway and Susie Wiles – leading his election campaigns. During his first term his daughter [Ivanka] was front and centre.

‘He gave Karoline Leavitt the press secretary’s job at 26 and even people who disagree with her political views agree that she’s been one of the most impressive and effective press secretaries of all time. 

‘It’s unfair that people attack the President when he has been a great supporter of women in a town that has always been male-dominated. 

‘People criticise him for wanting women around him to have a certain level of professionalism and beauty, but that’s who he is.

‘He’s a businessman at heart and he has always believed that you need to dress to impress. 

‘To be fair, it’s not just the women. I’ve seen him attack men for wearing jeans or an ill-fitting suit.’

And those same defenders argue that it is natural ‘female competition’ that drives Trump’s women to focus so heavily on appearance.

‘He doesn’t force these women to have 6am blow-outs or get plastic surgery or go on weight-loss drugs,’ the source points out.

‘They get the Botox and fillers because the White House is a competitive place.

‘Everyone is vying for his attention. He’s the President of the United States, for God’s sake.’

Trump doesn’t mind that attention at all, according to author Michael Wolff, who has written four books about the President.

He says: ‘I think part of it is Trump saying, ‘They are available to me’. That’s what he wants people to think. I think that it remains enormously important to him to be seen as the guy the women are around.’ (For his part, Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung has in response called Wolff ‘a lying sack of s***’.) But there is no suggestion that Trump does not recognise female expertise – far from it.

Two of his closest aides are Natalie Harp (social media) and Margo Martin (press). Both are impossibly leggy and glamorous and are reported to have the President’s ear.

Meanwhile, when it comes to Leavitt, she will firmly remain on Trump’s speed dial.

‘The President trusts her judgment. He respects her decision to spend time with her kids but he will continue to seek her guidance,’ one loyalist said.

Some have suggested that Leavitt has chosen to jump ship ahead of November’s mid-term elections in which Trump is expected to get a drubbing. 

But the legal source said: ‘I would strongly refute that. I think Karoline has shown how times have changed.

‘If anything, Trump has empowered women. He’s made it very clear that he’s keeping her on as a trusted adviser. She’s only 28.

‘In the 1980s, women had to choose between a career or family. Now they don’t. 

‘She’s more than proved herself at her job and she’s not going anywhere. Mark my words. Karoline will remain a force behind the scenes.’

With applications to fill positions at the White House at an all-time high, particularly from young women hoping to emulate the success of others like Leavitt, there is unlikely to be a shortage of glamazons to take her place.

In a major event at D23 in Anaheim, California, Disney pulled back the curtain on an exciting slate of franchise updates that promises to keep audiences captivated for years to come. The highly anticipated revelation of Marvel’s new X-Men cast stole the spotlight, complemented by significant announcements regarding Avengers: Doomsday and Star Wars: Starfighter, alongside a lineup of fresh animated films.

The long-standing buzz around Marvel’s X-Men has finally been put to rest as the studio revealed its star-studded ensemble. The casting includes Sadie Sink stepping into the shoes of Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott taking on the role of Professor X, Samara Weaving embodying Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd set to electrify as Storm, and Adam Driver as the formidable Mister Sinister. Mark your calendars; the film is slated for a May 5, 2028 release.

Marvel’s presentation also offered a tantalizing glimpse of Avengers: Doomsday. The event was a reunion for Marvel fans, featuring appearances by Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Hayley Atwell. Even Hugh Jackman joined them on stage in a moment that electrified the audience.

Switching to a galaxy far, far away, Ryan Gosling took center stage to unveil Star Wars: Starfighter, a project under the direction of Shawn Levy set to release around Memorial Day weekend in 2027. Additionally, Disney confirmed that the second season of Ahsoka is set to stream on Disney+ beginning January 20.

Not forgetting fans of animated features, Disney Animation delivered exciting updates. They peeled back the curtain on upcoming films including Frozen 3, Incredibles 3, and sequels for Tangled, Coco, and Zootopia 3, each gearing up to enchant audiences through the decade’s end.

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In a troubling incident early Saturday morning, gun violence struck Virginia State University (VSU), leaving at least five individuals injured. Among the victims, one remains in critical condition, as confirmed by both university officials and the VSU Police Department.

Authorities swiftly detained 19-year-old Camron Harris from Henrico, Virginia. Harris was discovered hiding within a dormitory closet on the campus, allegedly connected to the shooting. This development came from reports by The Associated Press.

Chesterfield County Police have stated that Harris is not registered as a student at VSU.

In connection with this case, police have secured eight felony warrants against Harris, involving charges such as malicious wounding and using a firearm during a felony. As of now, it remains uncertain whether Harris has retained an attorney to represent him.

University officials conveyed to News Media that officers were called to the 3300 block of Boisseau Street around 1:28 a.m., where they encountered five victims suffering from gunshot wounds in the vicinity of VSU residence halls.

“All five were transported to area hospitals. One individual is currently in critical condition. The remaining four sustained non-life-threatening injuries.”

The university said earlier on X that the shooting involved “multiple suspects.” No arrests have been announced.

Police had not provided additional information Saturday evening about whether authorities were still searching for other suspects.

VSU, a state-supported HBCU, is located in Ettrick, Virginia, about 25 miles south of Richmond.

One of the victims was confirmed to be a VSU student. The student was among those who sustained non-life-threatening injuries and has been released from a hospital, the university said in a statement.

Police said the five people who were shot range in age from 17 to 23. Four are not VSU students. The VSU student is 20 years old. The victims’ names have not been released.

Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive.

VSU police earlier revealed that the shooting occurred near the school’s Quad Annexes student housing complex.

According to the university, law enforcement “does not believe there is an immediate threat to the VSU campus community.”

“We recognize the concern this incident has caused among our students, parents, alumni, friends and the broader VSU community,” the university said in a statement Saturday afternoon. “VSU police will maintain an increased presence on campus as the investigation continues.

“Students should monitor their VSU email for additional safety measures currently in effect and information about available support resources.”

The campus initially went into lockdown, but the lockdown has been lifted, according to a university official and VSU police.

The shooting occurred on the same day that resident halls opened to returning students Friday for the school’s fall 2026 semester, according to the school’s calendar. Classes for the semester will begin on Monday.

Rozia A. Henson Jr., a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates, shared a message on social media praying for the victims and their families.

“Virginia State University is my alma mater. Waking up to this news is heartbreaking. My prayers are with everyone affected this morning, with their families, and with the entire Trojan family. VSU, we are with you,” Henson Jr. posted on X.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger also addressed the shooting in a social media post Saturday afternoon, saying she and her husband “are praying for a quick recovery for those who were shot this morning at Virginia State University.”

“Our thoughts are with the VSU community. Thank you to the first responders and law enforcement who responded to the scene,” she wrote. 

An investigation into the shooting, led by the Chesterfield County Police Department with assistance from VSU police, U.S. Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms (ATF), and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, is ongoing, a university official told News Media.

The university is asking anyone with information to contact Chesterfield County Police at 804-748-1251, Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660, or VSU police at 804-524-5411.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.