Pediatric Sleep Center

Comprehensive services to help children and adolescents impacted by sleep disorders

The Pediatric Sleep Center at Children’s Hospital offers a comprehensive range of services to diagnose and treat sleep disorders affecting children and adolescents. Our specialized pediatric focus means we are trained and equipped to offer comprehensive studies geared to the unique sleep needs of children.

What Children Benefit from Our Center?

• Children who snore. Snoring can be a sign of obstruction of the airway.
• Children who have difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep.
• Children with unusual spells that occur during sleep.
• Children who have excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Children with craniofacial anomalies or genetic disorders associated with sleep disorders.

See full list of pediatric sleep conditions we treat

Our Services

Sleep Study – A sleep study (also called Polysomnography or PSG) is an overnight procedure used to evaluate many factors that can affect a good night’s sleep, such as:

• Sleep disordered breathing
• Abnormalities in sleep staging
• Sleep movement disorders
• Cardiac monitoring
• EEG monitoring (recording brain waves)

CPAP/BiPAP Study – A study used to ensure proper fit of the child’s  CPAP/BiPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) mask and individualize pressure settings for each child.

Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) – We perform a multi-sleep latency test when a child exhibits symptoms of narcolepsy or has excessive daytime sleepiness.

Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) – We perform a maintenance of wakefulness test when a child has been diagnosed with narcolepsy and is being treated. This test determines if the treatment is sufficient.

Sleep Education – As part of all of our appointments, we help kids and parents learn about lifestyle changes that will often correct or improve sleep disorders. 

What to Expect During Your Pediatric Sleep Study

A sleep study, also known as polysomnography, provides our sleep doctor with the most complete evaluation of your child’s sleep. Your child will be required to stay overnight along with one adult at our Pediatric Sleep Center, located in the Kennedy Outpatient Center. This overnight study records your child’s brain waves, heartrate and breathing as they sleep. It also tracks eye, leg and arm movements, and oxygen levels in their blood. This information will help your doctor make a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

• Arrival time is typically 5:30PM–6:00PM unless otherwise directed. You will usually complete your study by 4:30AM–5:00AM unless additional tests are ordered.
• Our center allows only one adult to overnight with the child. Due to space constraints, we do not allow additional children to stay.
• For the study, there will be several wires and monitors. None of this hurts.
• Throughout the night, the technician might have to make adjustments to ensure good quality of the information obtained.
• Schedule a follow-up 2–4 weeks after the study to review results.

How to Refer a Child to the Sleep Center

Refer to Pediatric Neurology for “Sleep Intake.” We will provide a specialized referral form to your office. This will help us streamline the process to avoid unnecessary waits during intake. We will determine what testing and/or interventions are necessary.

Patient Resources

• Parental Agreement Form
• Direct Referral for Sleep Study
• Patient Instructions for Overnight Sleep Study
• Sleep Study Follow Up Form
• Adult Sleep Disorders Center

The goal of our multidisciplinary team is to help people with serious illness live as well as they can, as long as they can, on their terms. We do this by reducing suffering, enhancing coping, and empowering informed decision making.

Meet Our Team

Theresa Anderson-Swanson, RPSGT

Ashley Martin, RPSGT

Kayla Irizarry, RPSGT

Katie Hartley, CPSGT

Rebecca Liechty, Sleep Referral Coordinator

This content was last reviewed on 11/15/2019 by a designated specialist, physician and/or provider with the Pediatric Sleep Center. It is not intended to replace medical advice from your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for guidance on specific medical conditions.