Pediatric Sleep Disorders

Why Diagnosing Sleep Disorders is Important

Sleep is connected to many different functions within your child’s body. Childhood sleep disorders can result in:

• Behavioral issues
• Heart health problems
• Developmental challenges
• Excessive sleepiness during the day
• Metabolic issues
• Restless leg syndrome
• Social difficulties
• Trouble keeping up in school
• Weight abnormalities

No matter what sleep issue your child is facing, our team is here to help. We offer evaluation and treatment for all types of pediatric sleep problems, including:

• Bedwetting
• Behavioral sleep disorders, including nightmares/night terrors and unwillingness to go to sleep
• Breathing issues during sleep, such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea
• Circadian rhythm disorders
• Excessive sleepiness and trouble waking up
• Insomnia
• Narcolepsy
• Periodic limb movement disorder and restless legs syndrome (RLS)
• Respiratory issues requiring continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP)
• Sleepwalking

Our team also provides specialized support for children with tracheostomies and/or ventilators, including optimizing ventilator settings and conducting tracheostomy capping sleep studies.

Your Child’s Sleep Study

If your child is referred to the OSF Sleep Lab for a sleep study, our team will work to make sure they are as comfortable as possible during testing. This helps us gather the most accurate information possible, so your child gets the right diagnosis and the most effective treatment plan.

What to Expect During Your Child’s Sleep Study

Most of the time, the study will be scheduled during your child’s normal sleeping hours, typically between 8 p.m.-6 a.m. This helps our sleep experts get a more accurate representation of your child’s sleep patterns.

Your child is encouraged to bring any items with them that they normally have at home during bedtime, including a favorite stuffed animal, pajamas, blanket, etc. Kids should avoid bringing electronic devices if it impacts their ability to fall asleep. Please plan to bring any medications your child may normally take before bed.

Our team will put small metal disks called electrodes on your child’s head and body as well as a small clip on their finger. These will help measure brain and body activity while your child sleeps.

While your child is asleep, we’ll record certain activities, including:

• Brain waves
• Eye movement
• Muscle movement

The team may also measure breathing patterns, oxygen saturation, the time it takes to fall asleep, sleep duration, electrical activity of the heart, etc.

One parent or caregiver will be allowed to stay overnight with your child on a provided sleeper sofa in the same room. A trained sleep technician will observe your child and check in with them throughout the entire process.

After your child’s sleep study is complete, our team will contact you to review the results and help your family decide on a treatment plan that works for you.

Types of Sleep Studies We Provide

There are multiple types of sleep studies available for your child at the OSF Sleep Lab. Your child’s provider will order the study that best meets their needs. Options include:

• Overnight polysomnography: This is a baseline test that looks at your child’s activity during sleep, including heart rate, breathing, muscle activity, blood pressure, brain activity and eye movement.
• Oxygen titration: This study helps determine how much oxygen your child needs during sleep and can help identify problems with breathing, including shortness of breath and sleep apnea, that can affect sleep.
• CPAP/BiPAP titration studies: This study determines the best setting your child needs when using these machines for sleep.
• Split night study: This is a combination of a baseline study and a titration study.
• Multiple sleep latency test: This is a daytime sleep study used to evaluate daytime sleepiness.

Why Choose Us for Your Child’s Care

Facing sleep challenges with your child can be exhausting. Our pediatric sleep resources offer top-tier care with advanced facilities, cutting-edge technology and a dedicated team of experts. Our team is committed to helping you get to the bottom of your child’s sleep issues, so they can be treated and managed in the most effective way possible.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

OSF HealthCare has been accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine since 2002, which means that your child will experience the highest standards of quality and safety delivered by highly trained sleep professionals. The OSF Sleep Lab is fully equipped with advanced sleep technology, ensuring your child receives the most accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Collaborating with Other Specialties

Our pediatric sleep specialists work closely with your child’s other providers to ensure coordinated care. Our experts also see children with other medical disorders that often involve problems with sleep, including asthma, autism, epilepsy, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), craniofacial disorders, obesity and neuromuscular disorders.