Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Why Sleep is Necessary by Steve Zorn, MD
Neurodegenerative diseases (like Alzheimer disease) occur with increasing frequency as we age. The question recently raised is whether these degenerative
conditions could be aggravated by a failure of the brain to clear the neurotoxic waste products that normally accumulate with nerve activity.
Alzheimer disease is associated…
Monday, May 14, 2018
We’ve all woken up feeling like our heads had just hit the pillow every once in a while. It’s hard to look forward to waking up when you’re
always tired in the mornings. While lack of enough sleep and 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 feel refreshed and…
Monday, March 26, 2018
What to look for in a Pediatric Sleep Center
Children require special attention when undergoing sleep studies so be sure to choose a sleep center with specific pediatric expertise in childhood
and adolescent sleep disorders.
Parents need to be aware of the following when finding a sleep center appropriate for their child:
The Sleep Physician should have experience in the evaluation,…
Monday, October 09, 2017
Hormones, Sleep, and Insomnia – Q & A
1) Why to women have more insomnia than men?
This is true, but it seems strange since slow wave sleep (the deepest stage of sleep) is less in men.
The answer lies in aging rate differences in the major sleep inducing center (the VLPO). It deteriorates more rapidly in women. Thus, an imbalance develops
between the brain’s sleep and wake centers. The…
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Written by Carol Smith, PA-C, sleep medicine physician assistant at Iowa Sleep
The CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) estimates that 80 % of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have pathological fatigue that does
not improve with bed rest and may worsen with physical or mental activity. Studies have shown sleep disorders are a common comorbidity with MS including
…
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Written by Steve Zorn, MD, Board Certified Sleep Physician and Medical Director of Iowa Sleep
The use of agents to treat disease and relieve pain have been suggested to date back at least to 5,000 BC with the Sumerians use of opium. Like other
medications, antidepressants are very useful. They are used to treat a myriad of health problems such as depression, anxiety,…
Monday, February 06, 2017
What You Eat and When You Eat Can Affect Your Sleep
Written by Barbara Zorn, RN, MSN
Do you struggle to get enough sleep on a regular basis? If so, you’re in good company. More than a third of adults in the US are regularly getting less
than 7 -8 hours of sleep that most people need in order to feel rested, function well, and protect their health.
What about Diet? Can dietary…
Monday, January 16, 2017
Written by Carol Smith, PA-C
There are many different signs of sleep apnea. We have listed the 10 signs that see very frequently in our patients.
Snoring. Loud snoring is common but not consistent across the board with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Lack
of snoring does not negate risk of sleep apnea.
Gasping or choking arousals from sleep. These symptoms…
Monday, January 09, 2017
by Diedre (Dede) Benson, ARNP
Many people will have a “night cap” to help them fall asleep at night. It can help you fall asleep faster, but your sleep is more fragmented. You get less
of the deeper stages of sleep that can worsen untreated sleep apnea and affect memory consolidation. Often times people consume the alcohol for the
sedating effect. The problem with drinking to help…
Monday, November 21, 2016
The holiday season brings family, friends, and food. Lots and lots of food, especially festive, holiday treats that only come around during this time
of year. But, don’t over indulge in some of these special items as it can affect your sleep at night.
Below we recap how the following popular holiday food items can affect your sleep at night:
Alcohol
Having an alcoholic…