Iowa Sleep Blog

Healthy Sleep Habits: Preparing Your Bedroom for Sleep

Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Over the past few weeks, we’ve blogged about the most common tips for getting a good night’s sleep. We at Iowa Sleep want—more than anything—to help you learn what steps you can take to better improve your sleep and the reasons behind each step. Creating a calming oasis in your bedroom should be a top priority when decorating. In fact, it should be one of the most relaxing places in your home.…

Healthy Sleep Habits: How to Relax Before Bed

Monday, September 15, 2014
In the next few weeks, our blog will give an in-depth look at the most common tips for getting a good night’s sleep. Iowa Sleep will help you learn what steps you can take to better improve your sleep and the reasons behind each step.   When your mind is racing and you’re constantly thinking of your to-do list, it can be difficult to relax and prepare for a restful night’s sleep. However,…

How Electronic Devices Affect Teens’ Sleep

Friday, September 12, 2014
Technology is everywhere, and increasingly, it’s found in children’s and teens’ bedrooms. Checking social media from a smartphone, watching a TV show on a tablet, or playing a video game may seem harmless, but these devices have a significant impact on your amount and quality of sleep. They often are used past a person’s planned bedtime, and their light and sounds have the potential to disrupt…

Healthy Sleep Habits: Avoiding Caffeine and Alcohol Before Bed

Wednesday, September 10, 2014
In the next few weeks, our blog will give an in-depth look at the most common tips for getting a good night’s sleep. Iowa Sleep will help you learn what steps you can take to better improve your sleep and the reasons behind each step. If you’ve read our tips for getting a better night’s sleep in past blog posts, you may have noticed that limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption before…

Can Fitness Monitors Help You Sleep Better?

Wednesday, August 06, 2014
If you’re like us here at Iowa Sleep, you’ve been asking what a fitness monitor such as the Fitbit, Jawbone Up or BodyMedia FIT can do for you. We know these devices monitor a myriad of activity, whether that’s exercise, sleep or your normal day-to-day activity such as the number of steps you taken since waking up. But we just had to dig a little deeper…you know, really unearth the value these…

How Exercise Improves Sleep

Monday, August 04, 2014
You’ve heard the phrase “sleep is the best medicine,” but sometimes sleep, or more specifically, sleeping well, is the problem. If that’s the case, then exercise may need to be your next prescription. An active lifestyle can help treat or prevent multiple sleep problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and insomnia.  Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) OSA is a sleep-related…

How to Maintain Your Child’s Sleep Habits on Vacation

Monday, June 30, 2014
When you plan your family vacations, you probably have a full list of activities to schedule, but have you allowed enough time to sleep and recharge between activities? Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule on vacation will help you feel refreshed while you’re away and once you return – especially if you’re traveling with small children. To get the most out of your family vacation and keep…

How to Treat Yourself to a DIY Sleep Vacation

Monday, June 23, 2014
 When planning your next getaway, consider a sleep vacation. Sleep vacations, which are rising in popularity across the world, typically involve a hotel package that includes a consultation with a sleep expert, physical/mental relaxation exercises, aromatherapy and overnight sleep monitoring. Upscale resorts and hotels in Europe have popularized these holiday retreats, but a sleep vacation is…

Overcoming Challenges to Summer Sleep

Monday, June 16, 2014
The Summer Solstice – the longest day of light in the year in the Northern Hemisphere – will arrive on Saturday, June 21. Late light at this time of year encourages us to stay awake longer, often making it difficult for children and, sometimes adults, to get a full night’s sleep. Most children resist going to bed when the sun is still shining. Yet they often persist in waking up in the early…

Monitoring Your Sleep Keeps Getting Easier – iPhone Operating System Adds Sleep Activity Tracker

Tuesday, June 10, 2014
We’ve told you about how Fitbits can help your sleep, but now sleep tracking for iPhone and iPad users will require little more than downloading the phone’s new operating system, iOS8, this fall. Apple announced on Monday that iOS8 will include a health-monitoring app called HealthKit, which can log the user’s footsteps, heart rate and sleep patterns. Don’t panic if you already have a mobile…