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Pediatric Sleep Medicine Program

About the Pediatric Sleep Medicine Program

Jefferson's Pediatric Sleep Medicine Program

Adults have trouble sleeping in different ways than children do. If your child is experiencing sleep problems, seek out the highly skilled specialists of Jefferson's Pediatric Sleep Medicine Program within the Sleep Disorders Center. Our comprehensive program cares for children ages 3 and up with:

  • Behavioral insomnia – difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, often with prolonged crying
  • Narcolepsy – daytime sleepiness and sleep attacks
  • Sleep apnea syndrome – disrupted breathing that leads to frequent breaks in sleep
  • Sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder – involves repeated body movements while drowsy or asleep, often seen as head banging, body rocking and head rolling
  • Sleep enuresis (bedwetting) – involuntary urination in children over 5 or 6 years old
  • Sleep-rated fear – fears of monsters, robbers, the dark and shadows
  • And other sleeping conditions and disorders

If your child is undergoing a sleep study at the Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center, our staff is willing to accommodate a parent's or caregiver's needs to feel as comfortable as possible during the overnight stay. If you'd like to stay in the room with your child, we can provide a cot or recliner to sleep on. If you prefer to sleep in an adjacent room, we will offer you a wireless baby monitor so that you can hear your child should he or she need you.

Rated a Top Hospital for Sleep Disorders by Philadelphia magazine, the Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center was the first such program in the Philadelphia area and is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Signs of Sleeping Difficulty

Your child may have a sleeping difficulty if he or she exhibits any of the following behaviors:

  • Falling asleep in class
  • Poor school performance
  • Mood changes
  • Diminished socialization
  • Behavioral problems
    • Non-compliance
    • Aggression
    • Hyperactivity
    • Poor impulse control
  • Family disruption

It's important that you give your child as much control over their sleeping situation as possible and provide constant praise and positive feedback during their therapy.