I have a weird behaviour during sleep. Since my childhood days,
I have a tendency to peel my fingernails, kind of semiconsciously,
but it may also have been subconciously. It happened two nights
ago again.

These few years though, as I age (now 51), I tend to reach for
my toenails, especially my left big toenail, during sleep and
peel off the upper part of the nails ! I did this last night, or
rather early towards morning. Again, it appears to be done
somewhat subconsciously, but I may also have been fully
unconscious, perhaps in the REM stages of dreaming.

I note that this toenail peeling appears to have started, or
at least aggravated, because I sleep very late these few years,
mostly between 3 to 5 am, due to heavy internet usage. Snacks
just before sleep at these weird hours in the morning also
seem to have been a factor in the onset, at least at times.

At friends' suggestions, I've been wearing socks, which seem
to have helped a lot, but occasionally I still do peel the socks
off, or peel the nail thru the socks.

Could this be Restless Legs Syndrome or Periodic Limb Movement
Disorder ?

" Factors that increase the likelihood of PLMD in the absence of restless
leg syndrome include being a shift worker, snoring, coffee drinking,
stress, and use of hypnotics. Being a woman, the presence of
musculoskeletal disease, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea,
cataplexy, doing physical activities close to bedtime and the presence
of a mental disorder were significantly associated with having a higher
risk of both PLMD and restless legs syndrome. "

(Wikipedia link of Periodic Limb Movement Disorder)


Some years ago, I phoned a psychiatrist who said it sounded like OCD,
and said I could try a course of antidepressants. So I went to my company
GP, who put me on Zoloft. I couldn't tolerate the palpitations and anxiety
after just taking half a 25 mg tablet, and gave up after a couple of days.