Iowa Sleep Blog

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…

Dreams

Monday, July 13, 2015
Many people go to bed each night and wake up the next morning with lingering memories of images they remember seeing or experiencing during their sleep. These envisioned images, sounds or other sensations are called dreams. Many times, but not all the time, these dream and images can have parallels to your waking life. To help understand dreams a little more, we’ve answered some commonly…

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…

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…

How Sleep Affects Your Job Performance

Thursday, May 07, 2015
Sleep is one of the most important ways to take care of your body and your overall fitness. So why do so many people overlook a good night’s rest? Today’s work environment features an increase of globalized work that has made it harder for managers and employees to turn off work at night. The average business executive sleeps less than six hours each night. From downing caffeine to stay…

Sleep Around the World

Monday, April 27, 2015
We all know sleep is important, and we should aim to get eight hours of uninterrupted shut-eye each night. But what you may not know, is how sleep is approached by other individuals across the globe. Each country has different sleep habits and traditions that are based in years and history. For example, did you know that in Japan, it is common for most workers partake in inemuri, or…

Dealing with Insomnia

Monday, April 13, 2015
How to Deal with Insomnia With nearly half of all Americans reporting they experience symptoms of insomnia, this sleep problem most likely is something you’ve heard of before – or even experienced yourself. Insomnia is the persistent inability to fall and stay asleep at night, usually awaking the next morning feeling unrefreshed and groggy. Symptoms also include waking up frequently…

Shift Work and Sleep Patterns

Monday, April 06, 2015
While many of us are preparing for bed at 9 p.m. each night, others are just starting their workday. With the demands of our 24 hour-global society, shift workers have been critical to production and customer service for companies worldwide. Individuals who work what’s called the “third shift,” or hours outside the standard nine to five working day, are considered shift workers. Some of…

How the Brain Works During Sleep

Wednesday, April 01, 2015
While we are relaxing and preparing ourselves for a peaceful night of sleep, our brains are getting ready to go to work. Even though we don’t know it’s happening, our brains are very active when our eyes are closed. The brain uses this “quiet” time to perform necessary tasks that help keep our brain functioning smoothly. Without this time to allow our brain to work, we can start to feel…

Tips for Traveling with CPAP Equipment

Monday, March 30, 2015
Spring and summer vacations are right around the corner, but don’t let packing your CPAP machine slow you down. CPAP, which stands for continuous positive airway pressure, is a popular way to treat obstructive sleep apneas- and over 28 million people suffer from OSA each night. These machines are usually compact in size and feature a hose that runs to a mask that the sleeper wears to…