Iowa Sleep Blog

The end of Daylight Saving Time tends to be more exciting than the beginning, since we gain an extra hour of sleep. "Falling back" can be helpful in many ways, including our daily schedules. The slight shift of the clock means the sun will rise earlier in the mornings, which can make it easier to get up in the morning, but it can also throw off your routine for a couple days, too. Gaining…

In my Sleep Fellowship training at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, I was allowed the opportunity to work closely with both Adult and Child/Adolescent Psychiatrists.This experience afforded me an understanding that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Sleep disorders can often present together. Clinically, this can be challenging; particularly in children,…

Everyone has an internal clock called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (or SCN for short).Like all clocks it turns on and off-- resulting in periods of wake and sleep. Some clocks are delayed. This genetic condition is called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS). It causes a problem. The individual can’t get to bed at a regular time and can’t get out of bed at a regular time. …

By Vicki Richmond, RPSGT, Technical Director Home sleep testing is becoming popular with patients and and more insurance companies require them, rather than in laboratory testing as a starting point. Home sleep tests are capable of diagnosing sleep apnea, but are unable to diagnose other sleep disorders like narcolepsy, parasomnias, and sleep movement disorders. The question…

In my clinical work as a sleep specialist, I am confronted with tired/sleepy patients (hypersomnia patients) that do not have a diagnosis of Sleep Apnea or any problem with Sleep disordered breathing in general. The evaluation of the patient, utilizing an overnight sleep study and subsequent nap tests (MSLT) - shows no evidence of Narcolepsy but exceptional fatigue and tiredness that we…

Dr. Meir Kryger (Co-author of Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine) once told me that in 1970 – Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) was considered so rare that he was asked to give a grand rounds on it to his medical school. It was then considered a rare disease of fat old men. NO LONGER. Science has improved. OSA is a genetic problem. It occurs in men, women, and…

Summer is almost here, which means kids will be out of school and family vacations will be underway. To make sure you have enough energy to enjoy the sights, activities and long hours that come with vacations (or long meetings that come with business travel), it’s important to make sure you’re getting quality sleep every night. For people with sleep apnea, traveling with a CPAP can seem…

While it might seem easier to push through a hard week or month at work or school by staying late working or studying extra hours, you are actually doing more harm than good. Last month, NPR did a report on how sleeplessness impacts workers and the workplace. They found that, when sleep deprived, you’re grouchier and more error-prone, which isn’t great for you or your employer. Sleep…

Sleep. It’s one of those things we dreaded as children, look forward to as adults, and is absolutely essential to allow our bodies to function at their highest level. But, it’s not always easy to convince young children to go down for a nap or get ready for bed each night. By the time a child turns two, most have spent more time sleeping than awake. According the National…

May is the Better Sleep Council’s Better Sleep Month, which helps bring focus and attention to the important role sleeping well plays into leading healthy, productive lives. To celebrate sleeping well every night, we put together some of our favorite tips to sleeping well to kick off the month. The whole list is below, but follow along with us on Facebook and Twitter…