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Your Child's Sleep Study

Your child's doctor may order a sleep study (or polysomnogram) to evaluate his/her sleep. This can be a fun experience with the right attitude! First of all, you should feel free to call the lab to set up a visit for your child, and to see our special pediatric room. The technician will set your child up with electrodes (lightly pasted to their skin) to measure their sleep, breathing, heart rate, and leg movements. The technicians have "distraction boxes" full of toys while set up is taking place, or some patients choose to watch TV, or play on a game-boy from home.

We know it may not be the best night of sleep (for either of you): don't worry!

Even if your child does not have a great night of sleep, we should still have enough data to interpret the findings. The sleep physician will interpret the findings on a computer: looking for signs of sleep apnea, increased limb movements, disrupted sleep staging, among other issues. The results will then either be discussed with you in consultation, or sent to your child's primary physician to discuss with you.

Sleep Study Tips for the Best Experience:

Explain it in a positive way to your child, "we're going to have a sleep-over!"
Make a game with "reinforcers" (the circle type for papers). Try to stick as many as you can on your child's body and head, and tell them this is what they'll do at the sleep study.
Come visit the lab if it will decrease your child's anxiety.
Bring toys that will distract them during set-up.
Bring your child's favorite pillow, blanket, stuffed animal.
Bring snacks for you child.
Tell them they will earn a prize for doing such a good job that night, "you get to choose where we go for dinner tonight!"

You are your child's best advocate. Tell us what we can do to help.

The links below will describe what you need to do prepare for your sleep study in more detail.

Pediatric Sleep Study Packet

MSLT/MWT