Sleep affects every aspect of a child’s health, daily functioning and well-being. Inadequate, disrupted or elusive sleep, constititues one of the most common complaints raised by parents to pediatric and family medicine practitioners, as well as to child mental health providers. 25% of all children experience some type of sleep problem, ranging from difficulty falling asleep and nightawakenings, to more serious concerns like sleep apnea or narcolepsy. The common wisdom the children “grow out of” sleeping problems is not an accurate perception.
At Florida Sleep Solutions, Inc, we are equipped to identify and diagnose sleep disorders in children ages 5 – 18 years old. Children are tested in one of our facilities and often scheduled on Friday and Saturday nights, to allow for a more flexible time with the parents or guardians. We try and schedule the children on their own night, or with other kids, this way the atmosphere is more comfortable. The pediatric sleep test should be scheduled around your childs normal bedtime; therefore, notify the scheduling staff when making an appointment. All of our pediatric sleep technologist are also parents, so feel ask questions as they begin explaining the procedure.
The procedure is similar to the adult in-lab study, with the exception of a few different monitoring devices that we typically do not use with adults. These devices allow us to accurately depict breathing and breathing pauses, to ensure the appropriate conclusion has been reached. We have televisions and DVD players in the private rooms which help the children relax during the “hook up” process. Feel free to bring movies, toys or books for the child. We accomodate the parents during the night and ask that one parent or guardian stay with the child at all times.
Remember, none of the leads or monitoring devices causes any pain or stimulus during the procedure, it only records. If you have any questions about pediatric sleep testing, please contact our office.
