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Specialties & Conditions Sleep Medicine Center
The Sleep Medicine Center at Lurie Children's cares for children with:
The Sleep Medicine Center team utilizes their expertise in managing patients who require nocturnal management for sleep disordered breathing through oxygen, PAP therapy, non-invasive ventilation (NIV), and high flow nasal cannula therapy.
The team’s mission is to provide the highest quality, up-to-date pediatric sleep medicine services to all children from birth to 18. The Sleep Medicine Center also engages the community and strives to provide quality educational resources for medical students, pediatric residents, fellows, faculty and medical staff. The team focuses on research efforts to build upon the understanding and knowledge base of the effect of sleep and its pathology on growth, development, health, and well-being of children.
The Sleep Medicine Center and Sleep Laboratory are primarily ambulatory specialties with a limited availability to provide inpatient services through consultation and polysomnography. Team members provide expert consultation based on American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidelines for polysomnography indications.
These include the following:
Consultation and polysomnogram may be optional to provide clinical guidance following treatment for suspected obstructive sleep apnea with orthodontia, nocturnal non-invasive mechanical ventilation for therapeutic titration, tracheostomy placed for sleep disordered breathing prior to decannulation, for other respiratory disorders such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, or BPD if there is suspicion of sleep disordered breathing, and evaluation of hypersomnia without concern for narcolepsy.
Inpatient consultation should be considered when patient discharge requires either diagnosis or therapeutic intervention for home therapies after careful consideration to the necessity of an inpatient versus ambulatory diagnostic testing. Polysomnography should not typically be pursued in patients with diurnal respiratory support, recent intubation, anesthesia, or pulmonary insult such as bacterial or viral infections.
The Sleep Medicine Center at Lurie Children’s Hospital was first accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) in 1996 and since has been re-accredited every 5 years. The last re-accreditation occurred in 2019. Accreditation by the AASM indicates its highest standard of care, excellent facility management and the highest staff credentials. In addition to providing top-quality care, we also place a strong emphasis on training future pediatric sleep medicine specialists, pediatric sleep and research. The Sleep Medicine Center is the training site for pediatric sleep medicine for the ACGME accredited fellowship training program of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Our center’s current research studies include investigation into measuring excessive sleepiness in children, evaluating the effects of lack of sleep during childhood, and studying infants’ breathing pattern.
Sleep Issues in Infants
Sleeplessness (Insomnia) in Children & Adolescents
Problems of Wake & Sleep Timing
Daytime Sleepiness/Fatigue
Parasomnias or Unusual Nighttime Events Occurring During Sleep
Breathing Problems During Sleep
Pediatric Psychologist, The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
Attending Physician, Autonomic Medicine, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
Patient visits with sleep medicine physicians are conducted at the following locations:
Sleep studies are conducted at the following locations:
Our state-of-the-art facility laboratories offer individual rooms, allowing families to stay overnight with their children. The Sleep Laboratory is staffed by experienced pediatric sleep technicians. These specialists gather information to help evaluate sleep-related problems. There is availability for sleep studies 7 days a week. To schedule a sleep study, please call 312.227.6740.
Please fill out this form and bring it with you to your sleep study appointment.
If you are coming to our laboratory for a sleep study (also known as polysomnography), you and your child are probably wondering what to expect. Please watch this step-by-step video to learn what to expect during a sleep study setup.
Most sleep studies are completed at night. They typically start between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and finish between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. Physicians are not present during the study. The sleep technologist will place sensors on your child’s body to record a number of different body functions. These sensors are not invasive and do not break the skin. They are used to monitor:
The sleep technologist will then record the sleep study utilizing both audio and video, and will monitor your child’s sleeping pattern by assessing and listening to your child’s breathing and snoring during sleep
Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your scheduled time, unless otherwise instructed.
To ensure we obtain the best diagnostic information for your child, please follow these instructions:
Wash your child’s hair thoroughly the night before or morning of the sleep study. Don’t use oil, gel or hairspray. Reassure your child that you will stay with him or her through the whole test and that nothing should hurt.
You will want to bring any items your child will need during the night, such as pajamas, a favorite pillow and blanket, a bottle or pacifier and any medications. You may also want to bring a DVD of a favorite movie so your child can watch it while we’re getting him or her ready.
If your child is having an overnight study, one parent or responsible caregiver must stay with your child. We are only able to accommodate one parent or caregiver. You may want to bring pajamas and other personal items for yourself.
If you child is using CPAP, Bi-level or any other device assisting with breathing at night (except for oxygen concentrator), please, bring this device along with the mask and the power cord to the study to verify settings.
Before your sleep study, please also download and fill out our sleep checklist.
Please do not let your child sleep in or take extra naps on the day of the study — especially not right before the visit. Your child can eat before the study, but should void caffeinated drinks or chocolate.
The technologist will apply the study sensors on your child. After the technologist gets your child ready for the study, they will dim the lights and let your child go to sleep. You will stay in the room with your child. The technologist may enter the room during the night to make adjustments, but usually won’t have to wake your child up. In the morning, the technologist will wake your child and remove the sensors. Most families leave by 6 a.m.
A doctor in the sleep center will interpret the results of your child’s sleep study and sends preliminary results to the doctor who ordered the study and to certain other doctors involved in your child’s care within 24 to 72 hours. We usually send out the full report within one week. Technologists do not give their impressions or preliminary results before the physician interprets the study.
If you’d like to request an appointment with one of our Sleep Medicine specialists, call 1.800.543.7362 (1.800.KIDS DOC®). If you have a Lurie Children's MyChart account, you can log in at mychart.luriechildrens.org to schedule an appointment.
To schedule a sleep study, please call 312.227.6740.
Telemedicine appointments are now available, in addition to regular clinical visits. Telehealth visits allow patients to access a sleep specialist from the comfort of their own home. To see if your pediatric needs can be met virtually, call 1.800.543.7362 (1.800.KIDS DOC®).
Before your first appointment, we ask that you print and fill out our New Patient Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire, and bring it with you to the appointment.
Download the Sleep Questionnaire
If you are a healthcare provider looking to make a referral, please reference the following forms:
Download the Bears Questionnaire
Download the Modified Pediatric Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Recommended Reading on Sleep & Sleep Problems
Additional Resources
Lurie Children’s is affiliated with Northwestern University. Medical trainees from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital are training in the area of children's sleep and may be present during your child's visit.
Your support is vital in helping us continue to make a difference in the lives of patients and families. Lurie Children's relies on philanthropic funding to enhance its programs, services and research for children. To learn more, please e-mail the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation at foundation@luriechildrens.org or call 312.227.7500.
