I’ve just had the pleasure of watching this very informative video about the chemical benefits to your brain, of a good night’s sleep.

In very quick summary: Jeff Iliff demonstrates the results of his research, showing that the toxins from around your brain generated through normal activity, are only removed from your brain via the Cerebrospinal fluid, whilst you are asleep. Whereas I know the other toxins generated from the rest of your body, removed by the lymphatic system, normally happen the most whilst awake and particularly moving or receiving a lymphatic drainage massage.

I’ve become very much aware of the body’s lymphatic system as a result of my years of work as a professional massage therapist, so it was great to see a similar process happening in your skull whilst you’re asleep.

Thinking of the people I’ve known with various challenges from a brain level (emotional and intellectual) and the associated challenges they’ve had sleeping, it does to me make a clear correlation with toxin build up around the rest of the body.

When there are too many toxins in an area of muscle for example, that muscle becomes tight, inflexible, and weak.  Whereas, a person with a more active lifestyle, with good degree of flexibility, and regular massage treatments where appropriate, are able to achieve far more with their body, are less stressed, etc. with fewer toxins in that area.

So if you don’t get the toxins cleared from around your brain whilst you’re asleep, it makes sense that you would become more agitated, trapped in negative thought processes, and unable to think clearly and efficiently.

So get a good sleep everyone!