About Us
The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation (RLS Foundation)
The goals of the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation (RLS Foundation) are to increase awareness, improve treatments, and through research, find a cure for restless legs syndrome (RLS), a condition which severely affects the lives of millions of individuals.
The RLS Foundation was created in 1989 when eight people with the condition began sharing letters and discussing their little known condition. In 1992, the Foundation was incorporated as a nonprofit organization to address the growing need for research and information about RLS. Their goals were simple and yet groundbreaking: increase awareness, improve treatments, and, through research, find a cure. Today those goals have taken on a life of their own. The Foundation has grown from a simple volunteer staff to a staff of seven employees at their Rochester, Minnesota location.
Since its inception, the Foundation has worked to increase awareness of this disease by educating the public and medical communities alike. The RLS Foundation is spreading the word about RLS – a serious, yet treatable condition with a very significant impact on quality of life. In an effort to continue to educate the public, the RLS Foundation has partnered with the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) to develop a public service announcement (PSA) to increase awareness and understanding of this serious, but often misdiagnosed and under diagnosed condition.
“We are proud to be part of this critical educational campaign and partnership with the NSF to increase awareness and understanding of RLS among the public and medical communities,” said Georgianna Bell, executive director of the RLS Foundation. “It is crucial that people realize that this condition can seriously impact the lives of people with RLS and their families. We hope that this educational initiative will help people to better understand RLS and the fact that it is a real, manageable condition. Most of all, we want people with RLS to know that they are not alone.”
The RLS Foundation continually strives to be the most reputable source of information on RLS, and has taken giant strides to further RLS research. For example, the RLS Foundation helped fund a study in partnership with deCODE Genetics in Iceland which led to the discovery of a gene for RLS.
For additional information on the RLS Foundation, click here.
National Sleep Foundation (NSF)
Established in 1990, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is an independent nonprofit organization committed to alerting the public, healthcare professionals and policymakers to the life-and-death importance of adequate sleep.
NSF partners with many government agencies and organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Transportation to raise awareness of the importance of sleep and alertness.
The priorities of the NSF are to improve the quality of life for Americans who suffer from sleep problems and disorders and to improve public health and safety by achieving understanding of sleep and sleep disorders, education, research, and advocacy. This means helping everyone better understand the importance of sleep, the benefits of good sleep habits, and recognizing the signs of sleep problems so that they can be properly diagnosed and treated.
As part of this goal, the NSF has partnered with the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation (RLS Foundation) to develop a public service announcement (PSA) campaign to increase awareness of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and help educate the public on the common, yet often misdiagnosed and under diagnosed condition that affects up to 10 percent of the U.S. adult population.
“RLS is a prevalent condition. Approximately 10 percent of American adults have RLS. Symptoms, including unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities, typically worsen at night and can dramatically impact sleep. Lack of sleep greatly affects health, safety, productivity, mood and overall well-being,” states David Cloud, chief executive officer of NSF. “NSF strongly supports this partnership with the RLS Foundation to educate the public about this under-recognized medical condition. It is our hope that this initiative will raise awareness about RLS and encourage those who suffer from it to speak to their health care professionals.”
The NSF recognizes that RLS is a common, often under diagnosed and treatable condition that can affect people in many ways. The symptoms range in severity and duration from person to person and can result in sleep disturbances, such as difficulty falling asleep, excessive sleepiness, trouble concentrating, and difficulty with daily activities. NSF is proud to partner with the RLS Foundation to educate Americans about the symptoms and impact of RLS.
For more information about the NSF, please click here.
