Sleep study general information

Before you arrive at the Sleep House

Your child’s doctor has referred your child for a sleep study at the Sleep House.

Your appointment letter will have a sleep study date and your arrival time. You will receive a telephone call near to the day of your child’s sleep study to discuss your visit to the Sleep House and answer any questions that you might have.

You will be reminded to bring all medications. If you forget your child’s medication then the sleep study cannot happen until the medication is at the Sleep House. For patients who use home oxygen, oxygen is provided at the Sleep House.

How to prepare

If your child is able to understand, then it is important to explain what is going to happen on their visit to the Sleep House so they don’t get too distressed during the set up and so their sleep is as close to normal overnight.

What to bring

• Pyjamas and socks.
• Your child’s medications that are needed during your stay. This is very important.
• If applicable, you must bring overnight feeds, pumps, CPAP or BIPAP machines and any other routine medical equipment or devices used at home. We have a medical fridge to store items that need to remain cold.
• You can bring anything to help your child relax in the evening before their sleep study, such as toys, books and games.
• It may be useful to bring things to make your child feel at home such as their own pillows, bedding and teddies.

Please be aware that the Sleep House is an outpatients department so we do not store any medications on site. Therefore it is vital your child’s usual medications are brought to the Sleep House. We may not be able to conduct the sleep study until the medication is at the Sleep House. This includes inhalers, pain relief, as well as allergy and epilepsy rescue medication.

Facilities

The Sleep House consists of 5 bedrooms. 2 bedrooms on the ground floor that have wheelchair access and 3 bedrooms on the first floor which are accessible by a staircase. Bedrooms have a bed (with guard rails) or cot for the patients and a bed for 1 parent or carer to accompany their child. There are shared toilet facilities on each floor.

Patient and parent bed

Baby cot

The Sleep House is located at 20 Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, S10 2TA. There is no onsite parking.

Please see the separate resource on how to find the Sleep House, details of nearest parking and public transport access.

What happens overnight?

Please refer to the sleep study resources for more information about your child’s specific sleep study:

• Overnight oximetry
• Overnight oxicapnography
• Overnight cardiorespiratory polygraphy
• Overnight full polysomnography
• Daytime multiple sleep latency test

Welcome and arrival

You and your child will be settled into your room by a member of the physiology team. They will explain what is going to happen and complete some paperwork.

Getting ready and attaching sensors

Your child will then be asked to get ready for bed and then whilst your child is still awake, staff will attach the sleep study sensors that have been requested by the doctor. Whenever possible we will try to attach these in time for your child’s normal bedtime, so that you can follow their routine as much as possible. We understand that attaching sensors can be upsetting for some children and young people, and the staff will work with you and your child during study set up.

There will be physiology staff monitoring the sleep study signals overnight. They will be able to reattach any sensors and assist you during the night.

What happens in the morning?

If your child is still asleep at 7am, staff will wake your child. The sleep study sensors are then removed so you can go straight home from the Sleep House.

We ask that you and your child make arrangements to leave the Sleep House by 7.30am at the latest. This is because the house is used for daytime clinics.

If your child wakes for good earlier than 7am, staff can remove sensors at that time and you will be able to leave earlier than 7.30am.

Meals and drinks

Staff can make hot and cold drinks for you and your child before your child goes to sleep. We advise that you have your evening meal before attending. We are unable to heat food for you during your stay.

For breakfast your child will be offered a breakfast box.