Track Restlessness & Inner Agitation

Restlessness is the inability to settle, an urge to move, pace, shift position, or fidget that doesn't ease when you try to sit still. It can be purely physical, legs that won't stop moving, or it can be an inner sensation of agitation that has no obvious outlet, the feeling of being wound up with nowhere to put the energy. Restlessness isn't a diagnosis on its own, it's a signal that can point to a new medication, a mental health condition, a thyroid problem, or simple overstimulation, and telling these apart usually comes down to timing: when it started, what changed around that time, and whether it's constant or tied to a time of day.

Why track this symptom?

  • Catch restlessness that starts within weeks of a new or increased medication, before it's mistaken for anxiety.
  • Separate daytime inner agitation from restless legs that only appear at night.
  • Give your clinician a precise timeline of onset, severity, and what makes it better or worse.

How Trace Health helps

Restlessness is hard to describe after the fact, it's a feeling more than an event, so the sooner you log it the more useful the record. Trace Health lets you capture an episode in one tap with a mild, moderate, or severe rating, then add notes on what it felt like and what you were doing. Because medication timing matters so much with restlessness, logging your doses on the same timeline makes it easy to see whether episodes cluster in the days after a dose change, information that's far more persuasive in a doctor's office than a memory of "it's been worse lately."

Common causes

Restlessness has several distinct patterns worth telling apart. Akathisia, a drug-induced inner restlessness from antipsychotics, some antidepressants, and antiemetics like metoclopramide, is common and frequently missed, and the defining clue is timing: it starts or worsens within days to weeks of a new or increased dose. In adult ADHD, restlessness often shows up as an internal engine that won't idle, rather than the visible hyperactivity seen in childhood. Anxiety and agitation produce restlessness as the body's alert system stays switched on, frequently alongside a racing heart or worry that won't settle. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) speeds up the whole body and commonly causes restlessness together with weight loss, heat intolerance, and a fast pulse. Caffeine and nicotine are everyday stimulant causes, and nicotine withdrawal can also produce restlessness in people cutting back or quitting. Perimenopause brings hormonal swings that many describe as an unsettled, wired feeling, often worse alongside poor sleep or hot flashes. Restless legs at night is its own distinct pattern, an uncomfortable urge to move the legs that appears or worsens at rest in the evening and disrupts falling asleep, separate from daytime inner restlessness and worth logging as its own entry if it only happens after dark.

When to see a doctor

Restlessness is usually not an emergency, but a few patterns need prompt attention. Seek urgent care if restlessness comes with chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, severe agitation, or thoughts of harming yourself, akathisia in particular has been linked to significant distress and, in some cases, an increased risk of self-harm, and that combination should never wait. If restlessness appears or sharply worsens within days to weeks of starting or increasing a psychiatric medication, contact the prescriber promptly, describe it clearly as restlessness or an inability to sit still rather than "anxiety," and do not stop the medication on your own, abrupt discontinuation of antipsychotics or antidepressants carries its own risks and the dose usually needs to be adjusted by the person who prescribed it. Arrange an evaluation for restlessness accompanied by unexplained weight loss, heat intolerance, tremor, or a fast pulse, which can point to an overactive thyroid, and for restless legs at night that are frequently disrupting sleep, which has effective treatments once identified. Restlessness that persists for weeks, interferes with work or relationships, or comes with low mood also deserves a conversation with a clinician rather than being managed alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I record when I feel restless?

Note when the restlessness started and whether it built gradually or hit suddenly, how long it lasted, and whether it felt physical (an urge to move your legs or pace), mental (racing thoughts, an inability to concentrate), or both. Rate the severity, mild fidgeting is very different from restlessness so intense you can't stay seated through a meal. Record what you were doing beforehand, any caffeine, nicotine, or medication changes in the prior days or weeks, your sleep the night before, and your stress level. If you take a psychiatric medication, note the exact date of any new prescription or dose change, that single detail is often the most useful thing in the whole log.

Can a medication cause restlessness?

Yes, and this is one of the most frequently missed causes. Akathisia is a drug-induced inner restlessness, an intense, often distressing urge to move that can make sitting or lying still feel unbearable. It's most associated with antipsychotic medications, but it can also occur with some antidepressants (including SSRIs, especially when starting or increasing the dose) and with antiemetics such as metoclopramide. Akathisia is frequently mistaken for anxiety or for the condition the medication was prescribed to treat, which is exactly why the timing matters: restlessness that begins or worsens within days to a few weeks of a new or increased dose points strongly to the medication itself. This is not a reason to stop a psychiatric medication abruptly, stopping suddenly carries its own risks, but it is a reason to log the dose date and the symptom together and take that record to the prescriber, who can adjust the dose, switch medications, or add something specifically to treat akathisia.

What's the difference between restlessness, anxiety, and ADHD?

They overlap, but the texture is different. Anxiety-driven restlessness usually comes with worry, a racing heart, or a sense of dread, the movement is a byproduct of the nervous system being on alert. In adult ADHD, restlessness is often less about visible fidgeting than an internal engine that won't switch off, a constant mental and physical hum that childhood hyperactivity can evolve into once someone is expected to sit through meetings and quiet evenings. Restlessness can also exist without either of these, as a side effect of a medication, a symptom of an overactive thyroid, or a reaction to caffeine or nicotine withdrawal. Tracking what surrounds each episode, thoughts, physical sensations, timing, recent substances, and medication changes, is what lets you and a clinician work out which pattern fits.

When should I see a doctor about restlessness?

See a doctor promptly if restlessness started or worsened within days to weeks of a new or increased psychiatric medication, this could be akathisia and the dose likely needs adjusting, but don't stop the medication yourself first. Seek urgent care if restlessness comes with chest pain, a pounding or irregular heartbeat, severe agitation, or any thoughts of self-harm. Book a routine evaluation if restlessness comes with unexplained weight loss, heat intolerance, or a persistently fast pulse (possible thyroid causes), if restless legs are regularly disrupting your sleep, or if the restlessness has lasted for weeks and is affecting your work, relationships, or mood. Bringing a log of when episodes happen, what preceded them, and any medication dates makes the appointment far more productive than trying to describe a feeling from memory.

Why do my legs feel restless only at night?

Restlessness confined to the evening or night, especially an uncomfortable, hard-to-describe urge to move your legs that eases with movement and returns as soon as you're still, is a distinct pattern often called restless legs. It typically appears or worsens at rest, peaks in the evening and night, and can significantly delay falling asleep, which is different from the daytime inner agitation seen with anxiety, ADHD, or akathisia. It's worth logging separately from daytime restlessness because the causes and management differ, iron levels, certain medications, and sleep habits are all relevant, and a clinician will want to know whether it's a nightly pattern or something that happens at any time of day before deciding what to check next.

Your health data stays on your iPhone.

No account. Private. No personal information is ever requested. Your health data stays on your iPhone by default. A backup option to your private iCloud is available. Trace Health never collects or sells your health data.

What people say

Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 58+ ratings on the App Store.

  • “This app is wonderful. You can add symptoms and rearrange them as you like. The best part: your sensitive health data is only stored on your own device.” (WhoKnowsTypo, Netherlands)
  • “Finally a simple iOS 26 symptom reporting app, thank you 😀” (stranack, United Kingdom)

Read the complete guide: How to Track Restlessness: A Complete Guide →