Norton Children’s Sleep Medicine

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Sleep disorders in children are more common than you may think. Pediatric sleep medicine specialists can help your child — and you — get a better night’s sleep.

Norton Children’s Sleep Medicine, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, offers sleep studies for children of all ages, from newborns to age 18, experiencing sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia or other conditions.

Why See a Pediatric Sleep Medicine Specialist?

Sleep is vital to a child’s health — it directly impacts mental and physical development. Children who do not get enough quality sleep may become irritable, have trouble focusing and experience learning and behavioral difficulties. Talk to your child’s primary care provider about any sleep disorder symptoms your child may have, including:

  • Behavioral issues
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • High blood pressure
  • Leg twitches
  • Nightmares
  • Poor school performance
  • Sleep walking
  • Snoring, gasping for air during sleep

Your primary care provider may refer you to a sleep specialist to evaluate your child. This may include performing a pediatric sleep study.

What to Expect at a Pediatric Sleep Study

A pediatric sleep study is an afternoon or overnight test during which a child’s sleep is monitored by a sleep technologist in the Norton Children’s Sleep Center at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital. The pediatric center is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the gold standard for demonstrating a commitment to high-quality care in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.

During the sleep study, a parent or guardian shares the room with the child to help them feel comfortable. The child sleeps in a bed or crib, and the parent has their own separate bed. Each room has private restroom facilities, including a shower.

Our sleep technologists have specialized training to work with children. They are well-versed in the management of complex sleep disorders and have continuous unrestricted access to a physician on call throughout the duration of a child’s sleep study.

During the study, electrodes are taped to the child’s head, face and chest, and worn while the child sleeps. These painless wires track sleep stages, breathing patterns, heart activity, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and body movements, as well as other information.

A trained pediatric sleep medicine technologist continuously monitors the child and equipment throughout the study. After testing is complete, the data is analyzed by our fellowship-trained pediatric sleep medicine physician and a written evaluation is sent to the child’s referring physician.

Available pediatric sleep tests:

  • Baseline sleep study
  • Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration
  • Mean sleep latency test
  • Actigraphy watch testing

Collaboration With UofL School of Medicine for Your Child’s Care

Our pediatric sleep medicine specialists provide highly skilled care for your child. Norton Children’s Hospital serves as the primary pediatric teaching facility for the University of Louisville School of Medicine. These doctors are professors and active researchers helping to advance medical care through clinical research and education.

The Norton Children’s Difference

With a 125-year presence in Louisville, Norton Children’s is a leader in pediatric care across Kentucky and Southern Indiana, providing an expanded footprint that includes:

  • Norton Children’s Hospital – The region’s only full-service, free-standing pediatric hospital and Louisville’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. Norton Children’s Hospital also has one of the largest Level IV (highest level) neonatal intensive care units in the country.
  • Numerous regional outpatient centers and extensive pediatrician and pediatric specialist offices throughout the area.
  • Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital – The only women’s hospital in Louisville, providing care dedicated to the needs of women and children.
  • Norton Children’s Medical Center – A unique regional outpatient facility designed “Just for Kids,” bringing pediatric care to northeastern Jefferson County and the surrounding area.

Norton Children’s Offers Specialized Programs and Services, Including:

  • Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, and the Addison Jo Blair Cancer Care Center, which is one of the oldest oncology programs continuously accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer.
  • Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, a pioneer in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. Norton Children’s heart transplant surgeons performed Kentucky’s first heart transplant in a newborn in 1986, making the hospital the second site in the United States for infant transplants. Norton Children’s Hospital is home to the Jennifer Lawrence Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
  • Pediatric neurology and neurosurgery, including a Level 4 epilepsy center
  • Orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation
  • The Wendy Novak Diabetes Center

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