Your child’s sleep is key to their overall health and development. At OSF HealthCare, our team is specially trained in sleep disorders in children, and offers comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for all types of sleep issues to help your child get the rest their body needs.
What are sleep disorders?
Any disorder that consistently disrupts your child’s ability to get the amount of quality sleep their body needs is considered a sleep disorder. Sleep disorders can impact people of all ages, from infants to adults.
Why Diagnosing Sleep Disorders is Important
Sleep is connected to many different functions within your child’s body. Childhood sleep disorders can result in:
If you and your child’s provider are concerned about your child’s sleep, you can request a referral to our pediatric sleep specialists for a comprehensive evaluation. During this evaluation, our team will review your child’s symptoms and other information about their condition. Following the evaluation, your child may be referred to a sleep study at the OSF Sleep Lab.
Meet Your Care Team
Our team of pediatric sleep experts are committed to helping your child improve their sleep and overall wellness. Your child’s care team includes doctors, advanced practice providers and nurses who work closely with additional sleep specialists in the OSF Sleep Lab to develop the most effective care plan.
Need care for your child’s sleep issues? Contact your child’s provider about a referral to a pediatric pulmonologist. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.
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:
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.
The cost of a sleep study can vary depending on your insurance and the type of sleep study your child needs. As with any testing, it’s important to talk with your insurance provider. If you need financial support, our financial navigator team can you help understand your specific cost.
What is the typical wait time for sleep study results?
Your child’s sleep study results are typically available within one week via OSF MyChart. Our pediatric sleep disorders team will contact you to review the results and offer recommendations.
What if my child can’t sleep during their sleep study?
If a child is unable to fall asleep during the study, our team will follow up later to reschedule or talk through other options. Sometimes kids may have trouble sleeping when they are away from their own home. Our sleep specialists are experts at helping kids feel more comfortable and relaxed.
How long is a sleep study?
The length of a sleep study depends on the type of study your child needs. Most nighttime sleep studies begin at 8 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. the next morning. Other studies may be shorter. Your provider will go over these details with you prior to your scheduled sleep study.
Can you do a sleep study at home?
Home sleep studies are not available for children currently. Conducting a sleep study in the sleep lab allows us to have more control over the environment and get more accurate results for your child.
