Another effect of sleep deprivation that I have felt is that when sleep deprived, the body's tollerance for alcohol, (and probably other drugs), is much lowered, so a small amount of alcohol will have more effect on you when you're very tired.
Mastoiditis can cause pain behind the ear and down the neck. MedlinePlus states that mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone of the skull, which is located directly behind the pinna or the outside portion of the ear.hoto Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images. Numerous conditions can cause pain behind the ear and down the neck. According to MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, neck pain can travel to other parts of the body, such as the shoulder, arm and head.
When the ear is the source of the pain (primary otalgia), the ear examination is usually abnormal. When the ear is not the source of the pain (secondary otalgia), the ear examination is typically normal. The cause of primary otalgia is usually apparent on examination; the most common causes are otitis media and otitis externa. The cause of secondary otalgia is often difficult to determine because the innervation of the ear is complex and there are many potential sources of referred pain.