Pediatric Sleep Center

The Lurie Children's Difference

he 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 2014.  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.

Conditions We Treat

Sleep Issues in Infants

• Difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep without parental help
• Frequent night waking
• Frequent night feedings
• Napping problems
• Apnea of prematurity
• Breathing problems including periodic breathing, central apneas, and obstructive apneas

Sleeplessness (Insomnia) in Children & Adolescents

• Bedtime struggles
• Problems falling asleep 
• Frequent nighttime waking and/or difficulty returning to sleep
• Napping problems

Problems of Wake & Sleep Timing

• Difficulty falling asleep or waking at the desired time
• Reversal of sleep-wake timings (sleeping during the day, awake at night)
• Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD)
• Irregular sleep patterns
• Sleeping until late hours in the morning/afternoon on weekends

Daytime Sleepiness/Fatigue

• Feeling sleepy during the daytime, dozing off easily
• Taking frequent naps, or resuming napping in an older child
• Insufficient sleep or inconsistent sleep schedule
• Sleeping for longer periods at night than usual
• Excessive sleepiness or fatigue due to medical disorders
• Narcolepsy; A neurological sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness and in some cases accompanied by episodes of cataplexy (partial or total loss of muscle control, often triggered by a strong emotion such as laughter).

Parasomnias or Unusual Nighttime Events Occurring During Sleep

• Sleep terrors (incomplete waking, crying or screaming, thrashing, looking upset or frightened)
• Sleepwalking 
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Periodic limb movements in sleep; frequent kicking or leg jerks while asleep
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS); An urge to move the legs often associated with discomfort during the evening or at bedtime that is relieved by activity and worsened with rest)
• Dream enacting behavior
• Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)

Breathing Problems During Sleep

• Obstructive sleep apnea (snoring, observed pauses, gasping, snorting, mouth breathing)
• Central sleep apnea (pauses in breathing frequently not accompanied by snoring)
• Complex breathing problems in patients with muscle weakness, neurological disorders.

Sleep Medicine Visits

Patient visits with sleep medicine physicians are conducted at the following locations:

• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
• Lurie Children's Outpatient Center in Lincoln Park
• Lurie Children's Outpatient Center in Northbrook
• Lurie Children's Outpatient Center in Lake Forest
• Lurie Children's Outpatient Center in Grayslake
• Lurie Children's Outpatient Center in Westchester

What to Expect During Your Visit with a Sleep Medicine Physician

• We can help you and your child get ready for your appointment at the Sleep Center, regardless of age or sleep issue.
• Overall, the purpose is to gather information on your child's sleep.
• Before your visit we often recommend that you keep a detailed sleep log of your child's sleep for a couple of weeks before your appointment. This will give us a detailed window into your child’s sleep problems. Download our sleep log. We also request that you complete our new patient questionnaire. Download the questionnaire.
• Your first visit will last about an hour. You and your child will meet with an attending physician who is a board-certified sleep specialist. Because we are a teaching hospital for Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a sleep fellow or medical trainee may accompany or proceed your child's doctor.
• The initial meeting is comprised of an interview and physical exam. Depending on the nature of the problem, we will then either construct a treatment plan or advise you on the next steps of testing.

Sleep Studies

Sleep studies are conducted at the following locations:

• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago - AASM accredited
• Lurie Children's Outpatient Center in Grayslake - the newest facility pursuing AASM accreditation.

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.

What to Expect During a Sleep Study

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.

In this step-by-step video walkthrough of a sleep study, your family can follow a patient as he completes a night in the Sleep Lab. 

Most sleep studies are completed at night. They typically start between 7 pm and finish between 5:30 and 6 am. Physicians are not present during the study. During a sleep 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:

• Brainwaves (EEG)
• Eye movements
• Muscle tone
• Breathing patterns, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels
• Heart rate and rhythm
• Leg movements

The sleep technologist will also record your child, using both audio and video, to watch how your child sleeping pattern and assess and hear your child’s breathing and snoring during sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sleep Studies

• How do I get my child ready for the sleep study?
  

  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.

• What should we bring to the sleep laboratory?
  

  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. 
  
  
• Can my child sleep or eat before the sleep study?
  

  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.

• What happens during the sleep study?
  

  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.

• How do we get the results of the study?
  

  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.

Find more important details about sleep studies in our informational handouts:
English | Español

Make an Appointment

If you’d like to request an appointment with one of our specialists, call 1.800.543.7362 (1.800.KIDS DOC®) or visit our Appointments page for more information.

New Patients

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 

For Healthcare Providers

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

Download the Sleep Study Referral Form

Download the Anatomical Chart

Download the Sleep Log

Educational Topics for Parents

Recommended Reading on Sleep & Sleep Problems

• Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber, MD, helps parents understand children’s sleep and shows how they can address many problems.
• Successful Sleep Strategies for Kids by Dennis Rosen, MD, presents the latest scientific discoveries about sleep. It provides helpful information on proven ways to help your child get a better night's sleep and feel more refreshed and alert during the day.
• Take Charge of Your Child's Sleep: The All-in-One Resource for Solving Sleep Problems in Kids and Teens by Judith Owens, MD, MPH, offers practical advice for helping your children and adolescents.
• Ellie the Elephant has a Sleep Study by Christy Beckwith, helps give you and your child an idea of what to expect on the night of your first sleep study. It is available in both paperback and Kindle versions.
• Sleeping Through the Night, Revised Edition: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep by Jodi A. Mindell

Additional Resources

• National Sleep Foundation
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine