Paediatric sleep studies

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The sleep lab at Southern Healthcare Specialists performs sleep studies on babies as young as 4 weeks old up to adolescents aged 18 years. 

The set up for a child's sleep study is very similar to that of an adult with a couple of extra measurements taken. During a paediatric sleep study we record information about your child's brain activity, muscle activity, eye movements, breathing pattern, oxygen levels, snoring, body movements, and carbon dioxide levels. In order to do this we attach several leads to your child's head, face, body, chest, finger, and legs. These leads do not hurt and are easily taken off in the morning. 

So that your child can become familiar with the stickers that we use to attach the leads and the nasal cannula that is used to measure breathing on the night we provide practice packs to families which is given to you after your consult with the paediatric sleep specialist. You can use this pack at home in the lead up to your sleep study so that your child knows what to expect. But don't worry if your child isn't a fan of the stickers or cannula, our staff are very experienced with getting the equipment attached, using distraction methods and also working with children with sensory processing disorder and ASD. 

During your stay in the sleep lab, you and your child will be staying in the same room overnight. Each room has two beds, one for the child and one for the parent. These rooms are private so you won't be sharing with another family. The rooms are equipped with a TV, wifi, and toys but we encourage you to bring anything that is apart of your normal routine for example books, tablet, or favourite toys from home. You will have access to shower/bath facilities and a kitchen during your stay so you can also bring snacks with you.