Iowa Sleep Blog

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…

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…

Sleeping Well with Muscle and Nerve Disorders

Tuesday, May 05, 2015
There is nothing more frustrating than lying awake at night, unable to sleep. It’s even more frustrating when your body experiences aches and pains that are keeping you awake, such as pains from Fibromyalgia or Parkinson’s disease. Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is the widespread pain and stiffness in muscles and joints that can be uncomfortable when trying to sleep or relax. This tends to…

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…

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…