Iowa Sleep Blog

What It Means to Be Sleep Deprived

Monday, September 07, 2015
Many of us wake up in the morning feeling, well, not well rested. In fact, more than 48 percent of people in the U.S. say they are not getting enough sleep at night. But, there is a difference between not sleeping well during a stressful week at work and consistently not sleeping well night after night. When you continually skimp on sleep is when your body becomes sleep deprived. …

What Is Narcolepsy?

Monday, August 31, 2015
Many people wake up some mornings feeling tired, but others wake up every day feeling that way, and it persists throughout their day. Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that involves poor control of a person’s sleep and wake cycles. People who suffer from this sleep disorder find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time, regardless of where they are or what they’re doing. It…

How to Wake Up Refreshed in the Morning

Monday, August 24, 2015
We’ve all woken up feeling like our heads had just hit the pillow every once in a while. And that makes it hard to look forward to waking up when you’re always tired in the mornings. While lack of enough sleep and lack of quality sleep are typical culprits of waking up feeling tired, there are a number of tricks you can try to help jumpstart your day and make it easier to…

How Sleep Changes as You Age

Monday, August 17, 2015
Getting enough sleep each night is an important part of overall health and wellbeing, as well as being something we are each completely in control of. As we progress through the different stages of life, our sleep needs change. Here are just a few of the ways our sleep habits adjust with age: Infants Growing newborns will spend anywhere from 16 to 20 hours asleep a day and sometimes on very…

How to Get Kids Back into a School Sleep Schedule

Monday, August 10, 2015
With the new school year just around the corner, it’s time to start preparing your family’s school year sleep schedules. Especially for children, sleep plays a critical role in growth and development, and not getting enough sleep can make it harder for children to focus, control their emotions, and learn and retain new information while they’re at school. To be sure your family is ready…

Developing Healthy Sleep Habits in Children

Monday, August 03, 2015
From birth, sleep is established as a critical element to overall health and general wellbeing. Getting adequate amounts of sleep helps the body to function at its highest level. When children are young, sleep is something they need, but might not be too interested in, instead favoring a couple extra minutes of playing outside or watching TV. Make bedtime a little easier on everyone with…

Choosing the Right Pillow

Monday, July 06, 2015
We all know sleeping is important for our bodies and we should aim to get at least seven hours or more of shut eye each night. But, without the correct pillow for your sleeping position, you could be hindering yourself from sleeping well. According to a poll conducted by the Huffington Post, 70 percent of people say a comfortable pillow is very important to a good night’s sleep. When…

Sleep Problems for Veterans

Monday, May 25, 2015
Sleep is a critical way for the body to relieve stress, relax and rejuvenate. For many, sleep problems prevent a restful night’s sleep. While we commonly focus on sleep problems in older adults, children and those who have another comorbid disease such as high blood pressure and obesity, there’s another group that frequently experiences troubles sleeping: veterans. In a survey conducted…

Tips for Better Sleep Month

Thursday, May 21, 2015
May is Better Sleep Month, so we’ve decided to explore some common myths about sleeping: MYTH: If I can’t fall asleep, I should stay in bed until I do. While this is how we are trained when we are younger, it doesn’t hold true as adults. If you find yourself lying in bed for more than 20 minutes trying to fall asleep, get up and out of bed. If you can, go sit somewhere with low lighting and…

Five Tips For Sleeping Well During Finals

Monday, May 11, 2015
The end of the semester and school year can be stressful, as students rush to finish projects, study for exams and write papers. Students get so busy during this time, sleep frequently gets pushed aside in order to stay up for a few extra hours to stay on top of their to-do lists. It should come as no surprise that students are one of the most sleep deprived demographics in our…