Having a sleep study on the Alligator sleep unit

A sleep study is a test to see what happens to the body when it is asleep. When we’re asleep, we aren’t usually aware of what is happening with our basic functions. For example, our breathing can become laboured, we can snore or make funny movements. A sleep study helps us see what happens.

A doctor might suggest that your child has a sleep study if they suspect they have a sleep-related disorder, like sleep apnoea or hypoventilation.

It is important to diagnose sleep-related disorders. If they are left untreated, they can impact the heart, brain or mood and behaviour in the long term. For example, disturbed sleep can make your child tired the next day and make it difficult for them to concentrate at school.

There are also conditions (ENT, craniofacial, neuromuscular, metabolic and others) which may mean your child is more vulnerable to sleep-related breathing disorders. A sleep study can give us information that can help us manage these conditions.

A sleep study can also be useful if your child uses ventilation or supplemental oxygen. It can help us check that this is helping with sleep and we can adjust the settings if required.

Most sleep studies take one night. We will let you know in advance if we need your child to stay longer, for example, a CPAP or BiPAP trial may be for two nights.

An advanced nurse practitioner will call you around one week before the sleep study. They will confirm the appointment and check any special arrangements such as a cot or hoisting requirements. They will also go through some questions about your child’s medical history to help the doctors when assessing your child’s sleep.

A sleep physiologist will then call you the day before the sleep study. They will go through some infection control screening questions to check it is safe for you and your child to come into the hospital and that they are fit for the study.

Please complete the sleep questionnaire on MyGOSH. If you don’t have access to MyGOSH, you will be able to fill this out on the night of the study.

A parent/carer must stay overnight with the child during the sleep study and stay with the child at all times.

Unlike on other wards where you may be able to leave your child in the care of nurses, on the sleep unit, we need a parent/carer to always be present and provide all care to the child.

Due to health and safety policies, we can only accommodate one parent or carer.

• Anything your child usually sleeps with, such as a soft toy, special pillow, duvets or blankets.
• Any medication or medical equipment your child needs. For example, special feeds, feeding pumps, syringes, or other things they may require such as pads/nappies.
• Your child’s ventilator (for example, CPAP or BiPAP) if they use one. Please bring all equipment including the machine, masks, and tubing. We will check and service the ventilator during your stay.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide meals during your stay. We suggest having your evening meal before coming to the hospital and to bring in any snacks you may want.

There is a kitchen on the sleep unit with basic breakfast supplies. The hospital canteen opens at 8am and there are also lots of cafes around the hospital.

The bedroom will be a private room for just you and your child. We will try and make this as comfortable as possible.

The sleep unit rooms have:

• A bed or cot for your child to sleep in. Please let us know which your child will need during the pre-study call.
• A pull-out bed for the parent/carer.
• Access to your own bathroom and showering facilities.
• Access to a portable/track hoist. Please let us know if your child will need this during the pre-study call.

The family kitchen has:

• A kettle.
• A microwave.
• Milk, tea, coffee, basic cereals, bread, butter, and jam for you to make breakfast if you wish.

Arriving for the sleep study:

Please arrive at 7.30pm- the sleep unit does not open before this time.

It is very important that you arrive at 7.30pm. This is to ensure your child is seen by a doctor to check they are well enough for the sleep study. If you are more than an hour late, we have the right to refuse the sleep study.

Settling in:

We will show you to your child’s bedroom where you can get settled in.

Introduction to the sleep study:

A member of the sleep team and a doctor will come and talk to you about the sleep study.

Please ask us any questions you may have- some people find it helpful to write a list of questions before they come in.

Please let us know if your child has any allergies or devices fitted (for example, a pacemaker).

You will also need to fill out a sleep questionnaire about your child’s sleep, if you have not already filled it out via MyGOSH.

Admission swabs, height and weight:

The doctor will check your child is well enough to have the study and do a basic examination including listening to their chest and checking their tonsils and throat.

We will also take some routine admission swabs to check for MRSA (a type of bacteria resistant to many antibiotics). The swabs are usually taken from the nose and throat. We may need to take more swabs if your child has previously tested positive for MRSA.

We will also measure your child’s height and weight and attach your child’s hospital wristband.

Setting up the study:

While your child is still awake but ready for bed, the study will be set up. We will:

• Wrap a soft probe around your child’s toe to monitor their oxygen levels while asleep.
• Place two sticky ECG pads on your child’s chest to measure their heart rate.
• Put two stretchy bands around your child’s chest to record their breathing movements.
• Place a small prong on the edge of their nostrils to monitor their breathing.
• Stick a small sensor to either below their collarbone or on their thigh, forearm or forehead to monitor their carbon dioxide levels.
• Place a small position sensor on their chest to record their sleeping position.
• Set up video and audio recording.

Once these sensors have been attached, your child can go to sleep.

What happens in the morning?

At around 7am a sleep physiologist will remove the sensors if enough sleep has been recorded.

If the study ends on a weekday, a doctor will review the study and explain the preliminary results. This usually happens between 10am and 10.30am.

We strongly recommend you stay for this review, particularly if your child is on CPAP/ BiPAP/ oxygen therapy. This will allow us to review and update their settings and prevent any need for extra visits to GOSH.

You can leave the leave the unit to have breakfast before returning for the review, if you’d like.

If your study ends on a weekend you will not have a doctor’s review in the morning and you are free to leave after the sensors have been removed. Please note, the sleep unit closes at 8am on weekends. Please make sure you are ready to leave before then.

We will send the formal report in the post once it has been fully analysed and reported on by the doctors. We will also send a copy to your child’s GP and/or referring doctor.

No. Sleep studies are painless and there are no needles involved.

There are no risks or long-term side effects. Your child will be able to return to your normal routine once you leave.

The respiratory sleep unit is located on Alligator ward. This is on level 4 of GOSH, in the Premier Inn clinical building.

Please see the map at the end of this webpage.

If you have questions about the sleep study:

Please call sleep unit on 020 7405 9200 ext. 0462 or 0599 to speak with a sleep physiologist.

Our office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

If you are unable to attend or your child is unwell:

Please contact the sleep administrator on 020 7405 9200 ext. 6948 or 5974 if you are:

• unable to attend your sleep study.
• your child has an illness that is affecting their sleep or breathing (such as a cold).
• your child or anyone in your household develops any symptoms of COVID-19, tests positive, or comes into contact with anyone with COVID-19.

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s ventilation (CPAP/BiPAP):

Please contact the NIV Nurse Practitioner on 020 7405 9200 ext. 1726.

Monday to Friday 8am4pm.

If you require out of hours support with your child’s ventilation:

Please phone the Sleep Unit on 020 7405 9200 ext. 0462 at these times: Monday to Sunday 7.30pm-8am, excluding bank holidays.

Otherwise phone Kangaroo Ward on 020 7405 9200 ext. 4109

For more information, please visit our webpage: Respiratory Sleep Unit