Sleep FAQs for Children
How do I know if my child has a sleep disorder?
Many people think sleep disorders only affect adults or mistakenly believe that a child will outgrow disturbing sleep habits. We now know that a child is every bit as susceptible to sleep disorders as an adult. Children may have sleep problems including trouble getting to sleep, waking up in the middle of the night and having irregular sleep patterns. If there is a struggle to put your child to bed, if he/she gets overly frustrated in the process, strongly resists being put to bed or if he/she is waking up so much that he/she or other family members end up not getting adequate sleep there is a problem. Other children may have an underlying sleep disorder that requires evaluation. Sleep disorders are quite common in children, but often are under-diagnosed. The impact of a childhood sleep disorder can have very significant consequences for children's health and functioning.
The best way to know for sure is to schedule an appointment at our state-of-the-art Sleep Health Center. Our staff consists of highly trained and experienced technicians and board-certified sleep doctors who provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment for your child.
Questions for parents:
- Does your child snore?
- Does your child get enough sleep?
- Does your child have problems falling asleep or staying asleep?
- Is it difficult to wake your child in the morning?
- Is your child tired or falling asleep during the day?
- Does your child have frequent nightmares, night terrors, or episodes of sleepwalking?
- Does your child wet the bed?
- Does your child have problems in school: either acting out, not paying attention, falling asleep or have problems interacting in a socially acceptable manner with school mates?
- Has your child been evaluated for, or diagnosed with, ADHD?
- Does your child kick, grind his/her teeth, sleep in odd or unusual sleep positions?
- Does your child have frequent respiratory infections?
- Would your child prefer to sleep instead of play?
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," your child may benefit from a referral to the Sleep Health Center.
The most common sleep disorders in children include:
- Snoring
- Obstructive sleep apnea.
- Restless leg syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder
- Behavioral sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleep-onset association disorders
- Circadian rhythm disorders such as delayed sleep phase syndrome seen in adolescents
- Narcolepsy
- Parasomnias such as night terrors, sleepwalking or bed wetting
A recent survey sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation found that 30 percent of parents of toddlers, preschool and school-age children, believe their children are not getting enough sleep. 76 percent of parents would change something about their child's sleep behavior.
How old does my child have to be to be studied at your facility?
We care for pediatric patients from one year up to 18 years. The Sleep Health Center is a comprehensive program for helping children with sleep disorders. Our board-certified pediatric sleep specialist sees children with respiratory, non-respiratory and behavioral sleep disorders.
Can my pediatrician write the order or do we see a specialist?
Your child's primary care provider may write the order for a sleep study. Sometimes, your physician may refer your child to our board-certified pediatric sleep specialist who will then evaluate your child and decide if a sleep study is appropriate. Some of our pediatric patients are referred to us by pediatric ear, nose and throat doctors for evaluation prior to having their tonsils and adenoids removed.
Can I stay overnight with my child?
All children staying overnight must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is required to stay throughout the testing. The parent/legal guardian has a separate adjoining room.
For some younger children or those with special needs, they feel more comfortable falling asleep with their mom or dad next to them. Once they are asleep, we will request that you move into the next room. We discourage parents sleeping in the same bed as the child as parents snoring or moving around can disrupt the child's sleep and make it difficult to know why the child keeps waking up or is restless.
What about my child's medications?
Let the physician who is ordering the sleep study know the type of medication and dose before he or she orders the study. He or she will decide whether to continue or discontinue a medication, since some drugs may interfere with the quality of your child's sleep or make it more difficult for the Sleep Health Center staff to interpret the results of the study.
This is especially important if your child is using anti-reflux medications, sedatives, or stimulants. These medications may have to be discontinued 3 to 14 days before the study, but be sure that you bring the medications with you in case your child needs to use them during the night.
If your child has asthma you should also bring along his/her medications as well as his/her nebulizer, spacer, etc. If your child is using BiPAP/CPAP you should also bring along the mask so we can see if it has any holes, rips or tears and if it fits properly.
My child takes a nap every day. Can we still do this before we come in?
Don't let your child nap on the day of the study unless a sleep specialist has instructed otherwise. Keeping your child from napping may help him fall asleep easier in the lab. Of course, it may be difficult to prevent your child from falling asleep on the ride to our Sleep Health Center, but do your best to minimize napping the day of the study. Please don't let your child consume foods or beverages containing caffeine on the day of the study. Plan on your child going to bed at the usual time.
What can I expect on my child's testing night?
Before coming to the Sleep Health Center, bathe your child and shampoo his hair. Do not use conditioner, hair spray, gel, body lotions or oils. These can disturb the sensor-to-skin contact needed to get accurate data. Bring along comfortable pajamas; two-piece sets work best and we recommend bringing along an extra set just in case there is sweating or for some children, bed wetting.
A sleep study or polysomnogram (PSG) is designed to find abnormalities during sleep. During sleep, the body acts differently than while awake.
Our sleep staff will monitor:
- Sleep Stages
- Breathing Patterns
- Body Movements
- Other vital functions
This sleep test is conducted in the comfort and safety of the Sleep Health Center. To best prepare your child, maintain their regular routine and keep napping to a minimum on the day of the study. Sleep tests are painless. Sometimes bringing along a favorite juice/snack, book, video, DVD, blanket and/or toy can make the child feel more comfortable in the sleep lab setting.
A technician, specially trained to work with children will place sensors on your child to collect the data. Sensors are placed on the scalp and skin. There will be soft belts placed around the chest and tummy, outside the pajamas, that will measure breathing movements. A bandage-like patch will be put on the finger or toe to measure oxygen. A sensor will be placed under the nose to measure exhaled air.
Can my child sleep with all the wires on?
Yes, most children sleep well. Our technicians will make your child as comfortable as possible. If a sensor is pulled or falls off, it is easily replaced.
My doctor ordered an "MSLT" as well. What is that?
MSLTs or Multiple Sleep Latency Tests are daytime nap studies. They are started 2 hours after an overnight sleep study if your primary care provider feels that more information about your child's daytime function or sleepiness is needed. In this test, your child will take a series of 4-5 naps every two hours throughout the day. If your child is having these tests, the sensors will be gently removed after the night study so that your child can clean up, change clothes and have breakfast. Some sensors will be freshly reapplied prior to the beginning of the nap studies.
Once the test is over, then what?
After the results are analyzed and a sleep diagnosis is made, your child's primary care provider will receive a written report and then contact you to discuss the results and formulate a treatment plan.
Treatment options may include:
- Behavior modification
- Medication
- Weight Loss
- CPAP
- Referral to a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist
- Referral to a pediatric sleep specialist
Children spend at least one-third of their time asleep. Shouldn't they get the most out of that time?
- Do you have a sleep disorder? Take the Sleep Assessment.
- Schedule an appointment today.