Tuesday, October 08, 2019
Introduction
The brain needs to adjust to wearing a Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) machine. Nightly use will help you adjust as quickly. If uncomfortable wearing it
during sleep, practice with it during the day when not trying to fall asleep. During this practice, you can listen to the radio or watch TV.
PAP therapy should be worn when you sleep, even during naps. We recommend using your PAP…
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Why Sleep is Necessary by Steve Zorn, MD
Neurodegenerative diseases (like Alzheimer disease) occur with increasing frequency as we age. The question recently raised is whether these degenerative
conditions could be aggravated by a failure of the brain to clear the neurotoxic waste products that normally accumulate with nerve activity.
Alzheimer disease is associated…
Monday, May 14, 2018
We’ve all woken up feeling like our heads had just hit the pillow every once in a while. It’s hard to look forward to waking up when you’re
always tired in the mornings. While lack of enough sleep and quality sleep are typical culprits of waking up feeling tired, there are a number
of tricks you can try to help jumpstart your day and make it easier to feel refreshed and…
Monday, March 19, 2018
Developing healthy sleep habits in children
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…
Monday, March 12, 2018
If you are flying, here are some tips you may have not been aware of. Your PAP device is considered a piece of medical equipment and therefore should not
be counted against you as one of your carry-on (You can check with your airline to make sure of the policy). DO NOT put it your checked luggage. Checked
luggage are at times subject to rough handling and your PAP may not arrive in the…
Monday, October 16, 2017
By Carol Smith, PA-C. Sleep Medicine Physician Assistant at Iowa Sleep
I get many questions on cleaning of CPAP equipment so I decided to write some information about the topic.
There are things that need to be done each day and there are things that can be done on a less frequent basis.
DAILY : Wash your face before putting mask on. Wash mask liner when removing it in on awakening with…
Monday, October 09, 2017
Hormones, Sleep, and Insomnia – Q & A
1) Why to women have more insomnia than men?
This is true, but it seems strange since slow wave sleep (the deepest stage of sleep) is less in men.
The answer lies in aging rate differences in the major sleep inducing center (the VLPO). It deteriorates more rapidly in women. Thus, an imbalance develops
between the brain’s sleep and wake centers. The…
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Written by Carol Smith, PA-C, sleep medicine physician assistant at Iowa Sleep
The CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ) estimates that 80 % of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have pathological fatigue that does
not improve with bed rest and may worsen with physical or mental activity. Studies have shown sleep disorders are a common comorbidity with MS including
…
Monday, February 06, 2017
What You Eat and When You Eat Can Affect Your Sleep
Written by Barbara Zorn, RN, MSN
Do you struggle to get enough sleep on a regular basis? If so, you’re in good company. More than a third of adults in the US are regularly getting less
than 7 -8 hours of sleep that most people need in order to feel rested, function well, and protect their health.
What about Diet? Can dietary…
Monday, January 09, 2017
by Diedre (Dede) Benson, ARNP
Many people will have a “night cap” to help them fall asleep at night. It can help you fall asleep faster, but your sleep is more fragmented. You get less
of the deeper stages of sleep that can worsen untreated sleep apnea and affect memory consolidation. Often times people consume the alcohol for the
sedating effect. The problem with drinking to help…