Iowa Sleep Blog

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…

Take On Our Better Sleep Month Challenge

Monday, May 05, 2014
It’s time to celebrate, but we’re not blowing up balloons or baking a cake. Instead, we’re planning our May schedules in a way that will allow us to get a full seven to eight hours of sleep every night in honor of Better Sleep Month. The Better Sleep Council designated May as Better Sleep Month in 1985 with the original goal of selling more mattresses. A good mattress is certainly important to…

Tips to Help Students Get Quality Sleep for Finals

Monday, April 28, 2014
As the end of spring semester approaches, students at high schools and colleges will soon be preparing for a flurry of final exams and writing final papers. The time crunch most students face at this time of year often prompts them to cut back on sleep just when they need it most. Consuming highly caffeinated drinks and pulling an all-night study session before an exam, for example, could…

What Would You Give Up in Exchange for a Good Night's Sleep?

Monday, April 21, 2014
About one in five adults fail to get enough sleep, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which recommends adults get seven to eight hours of sleep each night to feel alert and well rested. If you’re not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, you’re likely to experience excessive daytime sleepiness, as well as negative moods, fatigue, forgetfulness, drowsy driving and even…

Six Recipes for a Successful Night’s Sleep

Monday, April 14, 2014
We had a great time at Saturday’s Hy-Vee Whole Health Experience! We handed out Republic of Tea’s Get some zzz’s™ teabags and recipes for the Dreamy Bedtime drink—two of our favorite drinks before bed. Now we want to share some more information on drinks you can make at home in just minutes that will help you relax, become sleepy and enjoy a good night’s rest.  1. Dreamy Bedtime Drink We…

Visit Iowa Sleep at the Hy-Vee Whole Health Experience on April 12

Monday, April 07, 2014
Good sleep is key to your overall wellness. When we sleep, our brains actively renew our mental and physical health. Despite its importance to our health, more than 100 million Americans regularly fail to get a good night’s sleep. They’re always tired during the day and many have problems falling asleep. Does this sound like you? We can help. Iowa Sleep will be at the Hy-Vee Whole Health…

5 Healthy Sleep Guidelines for Overnight Workers

Monday, March 31, 2014
If you’re one of the more than 22 million Americans working overnight either in third-shift or on-call positions, you’re likely to have experienced problems sleeping. These shifts often throw off regular sleep patterns and force workers to adjust their internal clocks. However, modifying sleep schedules often leaves these individuals unable to sleep, dealing with insomnia or always feeling tired…

How Sleep Conditions Can Impact Diabetes

Monday, March 17, 2014
Many people are unable to sleep because they experience insomnia, snoring or waking up throughout the night. Problems sleeping can negatively impact health and various diseases, including diabetes. Recent studies have shown that up to 70 percent of people with diabetes have a sleep condition involving one or more of these side effects, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  OSA is a sleep…

5 Ways to Help You Adjust After Daylight Saving – Part 2

Thursday, March 13, 2014
So it’s been a couple of days now since we lost an hour of sleep, and some of us may not be feeling 100% rested yet. Those 5 tips we shared in our last blog will really help you adjust. But truth be told, you’ll have to follow the tips to feel their beneficial effects. Let’s take a deeper look at five ways to help you adjust: Maintain your normal sleep patterns. The Return on…