Sleep plays a very important role in your child’s development. If they are having trouble getting a good night’s rest, our pediatric sleep team and other specialists will work closely with your family to diagnose your child’s condition and develop a care plan based on their specific needs.
What are sleep disorders?
Pediatric sleep disorders are conditions that affect the sleeping habits of children. Left untreated, they can have a negative impact on your child’s mental and physical health, and even lead to other health problems.
Signs of sleep disorders
If your child has a sleep disorder, they may experience these symptoms:
- Problems falling and/or staying asleep
- Gasping or frequent snoring while sleeping
- Pauses in breathing while sleeping
- Tossing and turning all night
- Nightmares or waking up screaming
- Sleepwalking
- Recurring movements or lip smacking while sleeping
- Seeming tired after a full night’s sleep
- Falling asleep in class
- Irritability
Types of sleep disorders
At Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, we offer the full range of care for the most common sleep disorders, including:
- Sleep apnea (obstructive or central), which causes difficulty breathing during sleep
- Insomnia, which makes it hard for children to fall asleep, stay asleep or both
- Narcolepsy, which is a sudden urge to fall asleep while trying to stay awake
- Hypersomnia, which is excessive daytime sleepiness not caused by a lack of sleep
- Parasomnias and sleep-related movement disorders, which include sleep talking, sleep walking or other abnormal movements and behaviors that happen during sleep
- Sleep-related epilepsy, which causes seizures that occur during sleep
- Sleep-related hypoventilation syndrome, which is the inability to get rid of carbon dioxide appropriately
How we diagnose your child with a sleep disorder
The gold standard for diagnosing most sleep disorders is a sleep study. During this non-invasive test, your child will sleep overnight at a special facility with you or another parent or guardian in the same room. Your child will be monitored throughout the night with special equipment, and the information gathered during that time will be reviewed by a specialist so we can make a diagnosis.
The sleep study technicians at our pediatric sleep centers have vast experience working with children. We are dedicated to making you and your child feel comfortable from the moment you arrive, and we will answer any questions you and your child have throughout your stay.
Treatment for sleep disorders
Depending on the specific type of sleep disorder your child is diagnosed with, they may need specialized care from a pediatric pulmonologist, pediatric ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, pediatric neurologist or pediatric behavioral health specialist.
At Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, getting your child’s sleep cycle back on track is our priority. We offer appointments with experts in each of these specialties, and once our sleep team has made a diagnosis, your child will be promptly scheduled with the right specialist for their specific condition.
Your children mean the world to you
At Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, we take the very best care of them.