The Pediatric Sleep Laboratory conducts overnight sleep studies of children with sleep disorders. During the study the patient's sleep cycles and stages are measured and recorded. Patients are referred to our lab from the Sleep Disorders Clinic.

Some of the most common conditions we help diagnose and evaluate include obstructive sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing due to craniofacial anomalies and conditions causing neuromuscular weakness. Sleep studies are also invaluable for diagnosing periodic limb movement disorder and narcolepsy, and can be helpful in the analysis of insomnia and parasomnias, such as sleep walking and night terrors.

Our sleep studies are conducted with state of the art equipment and interpreted by one of the few pediatric pulmonologists in the country who is also board-certified in sleep medicine. Pediatric neurologists are also available to help interpret EEG readings from the studies to uncover possible nocturnal seizures, while pediatric gastroenterologists can interpret pH probes done in concert with the study to detect gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD.

One parent will stay with your child for the overnight study. A certified sleep technologist will be present throughout the test to document events, adjust equipment as necessary and help reassure your child.

Sleep studies run throughout the week, with weekend availability. All patients must be evaluated by a pulmonologist in the UCSF Sleep Disorders Clinic before being referred to us for a sleep study. Once the pulmonologist has made the referral, the sleep study coordinator will contact you directly to schedule the study.