The Respiratory Sleep Unit has four beds and is located on Level 5 of the Southwood Building.
The unit is care-by-parent, which requires one parent to be with the child at all times during their stay.
The unit is open during office hours (8am-4pm), and then from 7.15pm at night (Monday to Friday) and from 7.15pm on Saturday night until 8am on Sunday morning.
The Respiratory Sleep Unit is for children undergoing sleep studies in order to diagnose and treat respiratory sleep problems. The ward caters for infants over six months, children and adolescents.
The services which we provide are:
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the evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders
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overnight sleep studies
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initiation, support and follow-up of non-invasive ventilation or supplemental oxygen
The following patient groups cannot be studied on the Respiratory Sleep Unit:
If these cases, the sleep study will generally be performed on one of these wards:
You can contact the Unit on:
Respiratory Sleep Unit
Level 5B, Southwood Building
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street
London
WC1N 3JH
Map
General enquiries (Sleep Administrator): 020 7405 9200 extension 6948
Respiratory Sleep Unit: 020 7405 9200 extension 0462
Staff on the unit
The Respiratory Sleep Unit is staffed by respiratory clinical physiologists, specifically trained in the area of paediatric sleep medicine.
Prior to each sleep study, one of the respiratory registrars will visit each child to ensure an adequate history is taken, as well as checking that the child is generally in good health for the study to be performed. You may be required to see either the sleep consultant or sleep fellow in the morning following your study.
Other members of the team include our play specialist, health care assistants, plus administration staff.
Conditions we treat
The special areas of expertise include:
Ward information
The unit has a security locked door so please ring the bell and a member of staff will unlock it.
The unit is open at 7.15pm, which is when children and their parent/guardian will be asked to arrive.
Only one parent may stay with their child due to health and safety regulations. Other parents, brothers and sisters are welcome to visit during this time, however they will be asked to leave following the sleep study set-up, so as to control the noise and number of people on the ward.
Bed allocation
The unit has two rooms with private bathrooms which are firstly allocated to those children requiring isolation due to infection. If they are not required, the unit will try to allocate these rooms to those patients requiring extra room or privacy.
Facilities for parents
One parent or legal guardian must be present for the entire study. The parent or guardian will sleep in the same room as their child, with each room having a parent bed.
Be sure to bring comfortable clothes for yourself, in addition to the pyjamas you brought for your child.
Food on the ward
Meals are not provided for either the child or parent.
There are various locations within the hospital and local area in which food may be bought and eaten on the sleep unit. Please note the majority of hospital facilities may be closed after 8pm, so it is advisable to bring food for both you and your child from home.
We have a small kitchen on the unit with a microwave, drinking water and drinks facilities. Tea and coffee is available for parents.
You are welcome to store food in the unit fridge, but please make sure it is labeled with your child’s name and the date it was opened. This helps us to ensure that out-of-date food is thrown away.
Phones on the Unit
There are no telephones located in the bedrooms. Mobile phones can only be used outside the unit. Using them elsewhere can interfere with our medical equipment.
Facilities for children
There is no dedicated playroom on the unit. It is advisable to bring your own play equipment as necessary, however, a wide variety of toys, DVDs and books may be borrowed and used in the room whilst your child is on the unit.
Please ensure that these are returned when you are finished. It may also be useful for your child to bring in their favourite toy, blanket or pillow to help with getting settled on the unit.
Regulations on the ward
The following are not allowed on the Respiratory Sleep Unit:
- Flowers – water in the vase can develop a bacterium that can cause infection in children.
- Latex balloons – due to potential allergic reactions.
If anyone visiting the sleep unit, including the child or parent, has been in recent contact with coughs, colds, tummy bugs, or infectious diseases like chicken pox or measles, we would prefer them to wait until they are better before coming into the unit. No child will be allowed in to the unit if they have chicken pox.
If you are unsure, please call the Sleep Administrator prior to attending the sleep unit.
Last reviewed by Great Ormond Street Hospital: 17 July 2012
