An often overlooked yet key sleep issue is something I call clogged plumbing. I am referring specifically to your lymphatic system which is highly active at night while you sleep. Your lymph system must work right in order for you to carry on proper housecleaning chores, thereby enabling you to wake up feeling well rested. Healthy function of your lymph system has a large bearing on your quality of sleep.

The main symptoms of lymphatic problems are felt in your shoulder and neck area. The fluid around all your cells is called lymph fluid. It moves waste products through various lymph channels and nodes which have two main outlets (thoracic ducts) on either side of your spine around the shoulder areas of your back. Pressure, stiffness, or pain building up in this region is a sign of lymphatic congestion.

Your lymph system cross-talks with your brain stem, which in turn can cause problems in getting to sleep or staying asleep, aside from the housecleaning duties that influence sleep quality. There are many immune cells within your lymph system. If this system is clogged or sluggish then alarming messages may be sent from the immune cells over to their cousins (glial cells) residing in your brain stem. Your brain stem, which is part of your awakeness team, is now receiving alarming and stimulatory sensory input from your struggling lymph system. This can be enough to prevent you from falling asleep, or wake you up, especially if combined with other sleep issues.

The enemies of your lymph system are stagnation (lack of exercise or activity), eating too close to bed (fatty meals congest it), or excessive clean up chores (following a physically or emotionally demanding day, accident, injury, illness, etc). If you go to bed with an out of shape and overloaded lymph system you are typically going to have some troubles.

As the thoracic ducts swell during sleep (a kind of constipation), they push on nerves that go down your arms. This can cause one or both hands or arms to fall asleep or tingle while you are sleeping. The pressure may build up on one or both sides of your shoulders, often resulting in a stiff neck. Because your body tries to look for alternative ways to get rid of waste you may try to push it out your skin causing acne on your shoulders, chest, or face. Another alternative is to make extra mucous, which you will typically have to cough up in the morning (as well as after large meals).

Because housecleaning is not working well, extra trash is left around your body, often in your joints. This causes you to wake up with a combination of various aches and pains along with a yuck feeling. As you move around the gunk is mechanically moved out by your muscle contractions (as different from ongoing pain that is constant).

Weather fronts passing in the night always aggravate lymph problems, as your lymph system is a pressure system. Headaches that start in the back of your neck are common, and may also be felt as sinus pressure or pressure at the top of your head. If you have a really stuck lymph system you may feel like a pressure cooker ready to blow.

Lymph symptoms ebb and flow based on many issues, and the above collection of symptoms may be mild and have little effect on your sleep or may significantly interfere with getting to sleep, staying asleep, and your overall quality of sleep.