Iowa Sleep Blog

Excessive daytime sleepiness- "why am I so sleepy?" This will be the topic of discussion by Dr Zorn for August's free informational event. Refreshments will be provided. August 5th, 6pm 4040 westown parkway West Des Moines, Iowa

The National Sleep Foundation has just completed a poll entitled Sleep in America that enables us to note a direct correlation between exercise and better sleep. Individuals that state they moderately exercise, show they had an increased quality of sleep even with sleep periods of the same length.  Individuals who reportedly exercise vigorously, note they were twice as likely to have good…

The Weizmann Institute published a study in Nature Neuroscience that has suggested people can actually learn as they sleep which indeed alters their behavior when they are awake. This study consisted of allowing the individuals to fall asleep.  Once noted that they were asleep a tone would be played with a certain odor following.  Both pleasant odors and unpleasant odors were presented, each with…

ABC news channel 5 took a look at what it is like to have a sleep study.   ABC5 News Des Moines, IA

The Temple University Researchers have added to the Journal of Developmental Psychology by giving us a little hint on what to do when our baby or infants cry out at night.  Should we allow them to self soothe or intervene?  Here is what their guidelines suggest. Infants with genetic or constitutional factors, such as those with "difficult temperaments", seem to have sleeping problems early on in…

Remember tonight we are having a evening presentation with Dr Zorn.  Topic of discussion is Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.  Starting time is 6pm @ 4060 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, Iowa

The most recent Journal of Sleep published an article that discussed the findings of a link between workplace daylight exposure and quality of life and sleep.  Forty nine day shift office workers were examined during this study.  Twenty seven individuals were in windowless workplaces and 22 worked in areas with windows. Quality of life was measured using the Short form-36, and sleep quality was…

Here Is a study I recently found on a Medical News website.  This study examined individuals that had untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea and individuals that had simple snoring.  Much more than just an irritation to bed partners, snoring can be a precursor to more severe issues. Researchers at the Henry Ford Clinic have found that individuals who snore may be at an even higher risk of…

Researchers at Penn State have found that consistent bedtime routines definitely help with adherence of prescribed OSA treatments. In this study, CPAP adherence is defined as an individual using the treatment for at least four hours each night.  The researchers found that if a patient’s bedtime was consistent within 45minutes, they were significantly more likely to use the CPAP machine for at…

The American Academy of Cardiovascular Sleep Medicine reported today on a long term study done by a noted electrophysiologists (heart doctors who specializes in cardiac rhythms) on the increased risk of sudden cardiac (SCD) death in people with sleep apnea.  450,000 people die annually of sudden cardiac death (caused by a leathal heart rhythm). The 3 major predictors of SCD are age 60 or older,…