Restless Legs Syndrome runs in my family. It's in our genes. There are some other problems we have too (hearing loss is the big one) but those are separate stories for another time.
Let me tell you a few things about RLS that they don't always mention on the medical databases. I'll try to avoid overlapping previous writeups, though. First off, if you don't have it in your genes, RLS is often a symptom of something else, so if you've suddenly developed it out of nowhere- you should probably get a check up. Hey, can't hurt to be cautious.
It's a pain to get officially diagnosed with RLS. (no pun intended) It generally involves spending a night or two (at least one place required a week) in a sleep institute, and more often that not your insurance won't pay for it because this is a minor condition with no special treatment anyway. Most people in my family (me included) have not been officially diagnosed because it's just a bother without any real rewards- except the occassional "oh, that's interesting" that people who look at your records will say. Keep in mind, though, most people who have it don't know it, because they have it so mildly. (I, for one, have many physical oddities about me- had this not run in my family so much, I'd probably never realized it was RLS.)
RLS is most unfun for sleeping partners. Not just because you might have gotten into the habit of getting up and down from bed a lot, but because a lot of RLS sufferers kick or move a lot in their sleep. At least in my family they do. I have to pick up the sheets from the floor nearly every morning, because I kicked them off the bed.
RLS is generally worse when your hormones are very active. This kicked in for me around age 10 or so. I'd get major pains in my ankle and shin, to the point where I couldn't sit still or sleep for hours. My grandmother called these "growing pains" and remarked how everyone in the family had gotten them at some point, which eventually led to someone doing internet research, and- erm, I digress. As with most pain that you suffer from RLS, it's impossible to pin down the exact spot that hurts (as opposed to getting a cut on your foot, you can feel right where it is even if you can't see it.) Personally, this stopped around my 14th year of life. Women in the family say it got less severe when their periods stopped.
Painkillers can sorta work. You can get used to taking them, or just sick of them eventually. I don't suggest you bother, as there are better things, unless you've got the condition for a short-term period (meaning it's a symptom of something else). I still have used them on occassion when it was truly bad, though.
The best remedy for RLS, in my experience, is daily exercise. Walk briskly, and stretch those leg muscles! My family used to go out for a walk every evening.
This condition is real, but it's very much influenced by your state of mind. It is possible to ignore it when it is mild, for example. If you're in a restful state, it tends to get worse. If you're excited, you probably won't feel it much. Learning to meditate or concentrate well is a way to some relief, because you learn to focus your mind elsewhere.
Anyway, if you've got this condition, I hope you are able to learn to cope. It sounds like some other noders out there have learned more or less the same things I have, but completely separately, so there certainly is hope.