Sleep clinics for children?

[shortbun]

My son needs a sleep study. Basically, he can't sleep even with meds, heavy meds. I don't think he has apnea. I'm concerned about sending him to a clinic where they expect him to stay in a small room by himself all night. He doesn't want to do it. Does anyone have experience with kids who have a sleep disorder?

 

[Goofyluver]

My son needs a sleep study. Basically, he can't sleep even with meds, heavy meds. I don't think he has apnea. I'm concerned about sending him to a clinic where they expect him to stay in a small room by himself all night. He doesn't want to do it. Does anyone have experience with kids who have a sleep disorder?

My son has had a few sleep studies. In both instances, there was a bed available for me to stay in the room with him. This was at two different facilities. At the facilities we've used, minors are housed with their parents in the same room. I cannot imagine that it would be different anywhere else when you're specifically dealing with an underage child.

 

[SC Minnie]

DD had 2 sleep studies when she was 6 and 7. The clinic treated adults mostly but when kids the allow on parent to sleep in the room with the child.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

My son had a sleep study at about 9 months. They had me do my regular bedtime routine with him and then stay in the room. In fact, I needed to stay in the room, because the bed they wanted him to sleep on was really high (like a hospital bed all the way up so they could work on him easily, attaching leads etc . . . ) and it was a bed, not a crib. So, I couldn't actually sleep because I was convinced he would roll off. And he did. But I caught him!

Ours actually wasn't all night. At around 2:00 a.m. they came in and said that we could go home or just sleep there. If he had been in a crib or even a bed where I felt I could climb in with him, I might have considered staying. Instead we left without hesitation.

 

[pannm]

The two that we've heard of- both have told us that a parent needs to stay in the room with the child all night. I don't remember what the age cut off was for one of the locations, but at one of them they said anyone under the age of 12 MUST have a parent stay in the room with them.

 

[arminnie]

Really check out the clinic that you go to. There are all sorts of places offering sleep studies these days - some not so good. Make sure they are proficient in dealing with children.

The absolute best in the country is the Stanford sleep clinic which literally discovered most sleep disorders. Dr. Dement, Guillemenot and Powell are internationally recognized as pioneers and cutting edge providers. You can google them for some great information. They do a lot of work and research with children and adults.

Of course Stanford is no where near you -but people do come in from all over the world. I would call them and get a referral to a place that they recommend.

I've probably had 8-10 sleep studies in the past 20 years. I've even been written up in the Stanford Medical Journal plus I did a lot of PR work with Dr. Powell and a few TV appearances. He is one of the nicest men you would ever want to meet.

 

[Tinkh]

Check out your local children's hospital and make sure that a respiratory therapist is performing the test. A parent stays with their child.