L-W-O Community supports primary and secondary lymphoedema by promoting emotional wellness, lymphatic health, self-care, patient empowerment, online and in the community.
Benefits of Sleep
A good night's sleep is more than just a luxury; it is essential for overall health and well-being. While we all live busy, sometimes hectic lives, neglecting rest can have serious consequences for both body and mind.
Sleep influences nearly every aspect of life, from cognitive function and immune resilience to emotional well-being, physical recovery, and overall quality of rest. Its effects ripple through our health, shaping our ability to think, heal, and thrive. Prioritising rest isn't indulgence; it's a necessity for sustaining energy, focus, and long-term health. So, understanding its importance and making sleep a priority can unlock a healthier, more balanced life.
Lymphatic Health
The immune system, which is an integral part of the lymphatic system, plays a crucial role in maintaining our lymphatic health.
Sleep deprivation has a significant impact on the immune system. When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces fewer cytokines, which are proteins that help regulate immune responses. These cytokines are crucial for fighting off infections, inflammation, and stress. Lack of sleep lowers protein production, weakening immunity and increasing illness risk.
Additionally, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to an imbalance in immune function, increasing the risk of chronic diseases and infections. Prioritising sleep is essential to maintain a healthy immune system and overall well-being.
Sleep Disorders
An Introduction to Sleep Disorders
Sleep is essential for our overall well-being, influencing our physical health, mental alertness, and emotional stability. Yet, for millions of people worldwide, restful sleep remains elusive due to a range of sleep disorders. These conditions, such as insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy, can disrupt the natural sleep cycle, leading to fatigue, reduced productivity, and a diminished quality of life. Recognising sleep disorders is the first step in relieving the effects of sleep deprivation and reclaiming restful, restorative sleep.
I felt compelled to write this not only for my personal insight but also for the members of the L-W-O Community. Members of our support group often talk about the difficulties of sleeping, whether that is to do with painful limbs, pins and needles, or not being able to get comfortable in bed, plus many other reasons why sleep escapes them. Living in a world that demands so much from us, I believe we all deserve to understand the barriers to good sleep and how to overcome them.
In early June, I completed a CPD-accredited course on sleep therapy and was amazed by the depth of information covered. While I may not be able to share everything I learned, I hope that what I do include here helps empower you to achieve a more restful night's sleep.
Sleep Disorders
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Innsomnia: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep. It can lead to daytime fatigue and impaired functioning.
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Sleep Apnoea: A disorder characterised by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. These pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes and can occur multiple times per hour.
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Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): An uncontrollable urge to move the legs, usually due to uncomfortable sensations. It typically occurs in the evening or nighttime hours when a person is sitting or lying down.
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Narcolepsy: A chronic sleep disorder characterised by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods, regardless of the circumstances.
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Parasomnias: A category of sleep disorders that involve abnormal movements, behaviours, emotions, perceptions, or dreams. Examples include sleepwalking, sleep talking, and night terrors.
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Hypersomnia: Excessive sleepiness during the day or prolonged nighttime sleep. It can be a primary condition or secondary to other medical conditions.
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Circadian Rhythm Disorders: Disruptions in a person's internal body clock, leading to difficulties in falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up at the desired times. Examples include jet lag and shift work disorder.
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Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders: A group of disorders characterised by abnormal breathing patterns during sleep. This includes conditions like sleep apnoea and central sleep apnoea.
How much sleep do you need?
Everyone needs different amounts of sleep; these figures are from NHS UK
On average:
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Adults need 7 to 9 hours.
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Children need 9 to 13 hours.
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Toddlers and babies need 12 to 17 hours.
You probably do not get enough sleep if you're constantly tired during the day.
Sleep Hygiene
Why Is Sleep Hygiene Important?
Maintaining positive sleep hygiene supports healthy rest by establishing consistent routines that promote a restful night. Disruptive sleep habits can lead to insomnia, sleep apnoea, and sleep deprivation, making it essential to cultivate regular sleep patterns and create a comfortable sleeping environment.
Developing healthy sleep habits is vital for physical and mental health. Poor sleep hygiene can lead to fatigue, reduced productivity, and increased risk of chronic diseases. For those of us living with lymphoedema, getting a good night's sleep is essential for our overall well-being.
Create a healthy sleep routine.
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Sleep routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
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Bedtime routine: Allow your body time to unwind before bed by reading, practicing relaxation techniques, or engaging in deep breathing exercises. These habits can also help ease anxiety and stress, promoting a more restful night’s sleep.
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Sleep environment: Your bedroom should be cool, dark, and quiet. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out light. Use earplugs or a white noise machine to block out noise.
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Limit intake before bed: Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine, as they can disrupt sleep and make it harder to stay asleep. For better rest, it's best to steer clear of these substances in the hour leading up to bedtime.
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Avoid meals: Avoid heavy meals before bedtime; give your food time to digest.
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Switch off electronics: That includes laptops, phones, and tablets, as the blue light emissions suppress melatonin production, a hormone that regulates sleep.
Do you find it difficult to tell the difference between fatigue and sleepiness?
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Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness or exhaustion that can be physical, mental, or both. It doesn't necessarily mean you need sleep, but rather that your body or mind needs rest or a break. Fatigue can be caused by various factors such as stress, overexertion, or lack of proper nutrition.
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Sleepiness is your body's natural signal that it needs rest to function properly. It manifests as difficulty keeping your eyes open, frequent yawning, and a general sense of drowsiness. Acknowledging these signs is important to maintaining healthy sleep habits and ensuring your body gets the rest it needs.
Understanding the difference between these two can help you address your needs more effectively. If you're fatigued, you might benefit from relaxation or a change in activity, while sleepiness indicates that it's time to get some sleep.
I have heard several times from L-W-O members that they may sleep on the sofa or in a reclining chair.
Sleeping in your bed rather than a chair or sofa is important for several reasons:
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Proper Spinal Alignment: Beds provide better support for your spine, reducing the risk of back and neck pain. Chairs and sofas often lack the necessary support, leading to poor posture and discomfort.
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Quality of Sleep: A bed allows for full-body relaxation, making it easier to enter deep sleep stages. Sleeping in a chair or on a sofa can lead to frequent waking and lower sleep quality.
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Circulation and Lymphatic Health: Lying flat in bed promotes better circulation and lymphatic drainage, which is particularly important for individuals managing conditions like lymphoedema. Sleeping in a chair can restrict blood flow and lead to swelling.
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Reduced Pressure Points: A mattress distributes body weight evenly, preventing pressure sores and discomfort. Chairs and sofas can create pressure points, leading to stiffness and pain.
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Mental and Emotional Benefits: A proper sleep environment, including a bed, signals to your brain that it’s time to rest, improving sleep hygiene and overall well-being.
Curled in a chair or sprawled on the sofa,
Sleep comes in fragments, never whole.
You wake more often, rest runs thin—
And by morning, weariness takes its toll.
Circadian Rhythm
Your circadian rhythm is your body's internal clock that regulates your sleep-wake cycle over a 24-hour period. It influences various bodily functions, including hormone release, digestion, and body temperature.
The circadian rhythm enables our body to differentiate between day and night, or light and dark, establishing our body's natural rhythm.
Disrupting this rhythm can lead to insomnia or sleep apnoea. Shift work and jet lag are the two most significant factors that interfere with the circadian cycle.
A consistent sleep schedule helps regulate your body's natural rhythm, prompting the release of sleep-inducing hormones like melatonin and alertness-boosting hormones such as cortisol at the right times. This balance allows you to fall asleep more easily, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling refreshed.
Is there a link between the circadian rhythm and the lymphatic system?
Apparently there is a significant relationship between the circadian rhythm and the lymphatic system, emphasising how circadian cycles influence fluid balance, immune function, and waste clearance, particularly through the glymphatic system during sleep, highlighting the importance of a consistent sleep schedule for optimal lymphatic health.
The Circadian Rhythm and Lymphatic System
The circadian rhythm plays a crucial role in regulating the lymphatic system, particularly in how it manages fluid balance, immune function, and waste clearance. Research suggests that the glymphatic system, which helps clear metabolic waste from the brain, is strongly influenced by circadian cycles. During sleep, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow into the glymphatic system increases, enhancing the removal of toxins like beta-amyloid, which is linked to neurodegenerative diseases.
Additionally, lymphatic drainage fluctuates throughout the day, with evidence indicating that immune cell migration and fluid movement follow a daily rhythm. The meningeal lymphatic vessels, which transport CSF and immune signals from the brain to the body, also exhibit circadian variations, potentially affecting inflammation and immune responses.
This connection between the circadian rhythm and the lymphatic system highlights the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule to support optimal lymphatic function and overall health.
Please note: I am not a scientist or a medical professional, so I have simplified the explanation based on my understanding. If you're interested in further reading, the links below lead to research papers on this topic.
Circadian control of brain glymphatic and lymphatic fluid flow
The human immune system is an early riser
Glymphaticandlymphaticcommunication with systemic responses during physiological and pathological conditions in the central nervous system
Restless-Leg-Syndrome
Occasionally, our support group members ask questions about restless leg syndrome (RLS). This bothersome condition occurs when your legs are immobile, such as when you're seated for extended periods or, more commonly, when you're lying awake in bed at night. Symptoms include itching, pain, prickling, or tingling sensations, which can prevent you from falling asleep. Relief can be found through movement, like stretching or walking, but the condition can lead to daytime fatigue, excessive sleepiness, and trouble concentrating.
Some of our members describe the sensations as feeling like something is crawling up their legs. These sensations can occur in the feet, calves, thighs, and occasionally in the arms. While some individuals experience RLS symptoms daily, others may only encounter them occasionally.
Being unable to sleep due to RLS symptoms is distressing and can negatively impact your functioning the next day. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) affects individuals at any age, even during childhood, with women experiencing symptoms more often for reasons that remain unclear.
If you experience symptoms of RLS, consult your healthcare provider—they can perform a physical exam and recommend appropriate treatments. While not life-threatening, untreated RLS can significantly affect your quality of life.
Support group members ask whether restless legs syndrome (RLS) is connected to lymphoedema, particularly because it disrupts sleep. However, there appears to be no established link. RLS is classified as a sleep disorder, yet it is primarily a neurological condition known as Willis-Ekbom disease.
Restless legs syndrome is often associated with involuntary jerking of the legs and arms, known as periodic limb movements (PLM). However, my understanding is that they are two separate conditions.
According to the RLS-UK website, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) has two recognised forms.
"Primary or idiopathic RLS has no known cause and usually begins slowly, before approximately 40–45 years of age. It is often genetically linked, and it is likely that another family member may also share the condition. Primary RLS can come and go, sometimes for months on end, and is often progressive, meaning it gets worse with age.
Secondary RLS often has a sudden onset and is usually associated with another medical condition (e.g. iron deficiency anaemia) or the use of certain drugs. Some medications, such as the antihistamines in cold and allergy remedies, make the symptoms worse for some people (so while Benadryl tends to make most people sleepy, for example, it may actually intensify the symptoms in a person with RLS, making it harder for them to sleep)."
If you're interested in further reading, the links below lead to websites on this topic.
Continual Professional Development(CPD)
I firmly support continuous professional development (CPD). Since founding L-W-O Community, I've taken numerous courses to improve my knowledge and skills, ensuring that when I write, create graphics, or make short videos, they are supported not only by my experience with lymphoedema but also by learning through CPD. This learning allows me to take a holistic approach, not only to develop my own personal skills but also to deliver the best non-medical information possible to our members and followers.
CPD Accreditation: Sleep Therapy
This page first published 16/06/2025