Iowa Sleep Blog

Valentine's Day Gift of Good Sleep

Monday, February 09, 2015
 The Valentine’s Day gift of good sleep February is arguably the busiest month of the year, as many industries are starting their sales pushes and tax season approaches. This busy time can mean long hours at the offices, high stress levels and hours of lost sleep. When you aren’t sleeping well, it can affect almost every aspect of your body, such as your mood, diet, energy levels,…

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Monday, January 26, 2015
Des Moines Register: Find solutions for seasonal affective disorder Experiencing some “winter blues” is nothing new for natives of the Midwest. Maybe it comes about on a cold January morning, when it takes a little extra motivation to get out of a warm bed. These blues and their more serious form, called seasonal affective disorder, are a type of depression that is directly affected by…

ADHD or OSA?

Monday, January 19, 2015
Many are quick to call a child’s hyperactivity or lack of focus in the classroom Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In fact, 11 percent of children ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD since 2011. If your child is having a hard time staying focused during the day, the real problem may be what happens at night. While obstructive sleep apneas seem like a sleep problem only for…

Technology that Can Help Your New Year’s Sleep Resolutions

Tuesday, January 06, 2015
On average, 45 percent of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions, and one of the most popular is to sleep more or set a better sleep schedule. Many start out motivated in January, but find themselves losing steam by February and March. Set yourself up for success by using an app to help track your progress and keep yourself motivated when things get tough. Here are some of…

How to Deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder and Saying Goodbye to the “Winter Blues”

Monday, December 08, 2014
With dropping temperatures and shorter days, it can be hard to feel cheerful and jolly during the cold winter months. If you (or someone you know) seem to drop into a funk you just can’t shake around this time each year, you may be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that occurs during the changing of seasons each year, usually beginning in the fall,…

A Sleep Consultation at Iowa Sleep

Monday, December 01, 2014
Sleeping is one of the few conditions of the body that is naturally recurring – indeed, no one needs to be taught to fall asleep. That said, sometimes we do need to be taught how to best fall asleep. Yet, taking action and asking for help when sleep doesn’t come easy isn’t always, well, easy. The doctors and specialists at Iowa Sleep want you to know you are not alone. According to the National…

Why Sleep Is So Important

Wednesday, November 26, 2014
It may not seem like a big deal if you lose a couple hours of sleep over the weekend. And it’s true: recovering from one night of poor or little sleep isn’t so bad. However, when you’re regularly sleeping less than the recommended amount a night (7-8 hours), things can go downhill fast.  Sleep is a major part of your overall health. Your body needs restorative sleep to clear toxins from the…

Sleep Well, Be Well

Monday, November 24, 2014
Promising to get more sleep each night is a popular New Year’s resolution, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait until January to start. There are many small lifestyle changes that you can make now to improve your sleep habits. The National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project began in 2013 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research…

How Sleep Can Affect Your Diabetes

Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Individuals with diabetes know the key to keeping their diabetes in check is to stay on top of their blood sugar with frequent monitoring and adjustments. An overlooked component of keeping blood sugar levels in check is to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of sleep.  When you don’t get enough sleep at night, you are building up a “sleep debt” which effects the body in many ways. The…

Snoring

Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Snoring is one of the most common sleep problems, affecting people of all ages and both genders. In fact, almost 37 million Americans on average report that they snore. Snoring commonly occurs when the air flowing past relaxed tissues in your throat vibrates, causing those annoying and hoarse sounds. Snoring not only negatively affects your sleep, but it can affect your partner’s sleep as well. …