What happens in
the sleep lab?
Children and parents are asked to come in from 6:00pm to our lab. They get shown to their room and the child gets set up with the equipment once changed and settled in. The earlier we do this the better the chances of a child becoming less anxious and adapting so they can fall asleep more easily. We encourage a normal bedtime routine with no technology at least an hour or two before bedtime depending on the age of the child.
You are encouraged to bring your childs comfort toy or pillow which will make them feel more at home. You are also welcome to bring their ipad/tablet, activity and story books to pass the time and help make set up easier by distraction.
The parent and the child sleep in the same room in separate beds but only the child is recorded during sleep. You will be attending to your childs needs through the night as you would at home but staff are on site to provide assistance or answer your questions. Sleep technicians will advise at bedtime the start of recording of sleep and work through the night observing all signals from a computer in a separate control room to ensure we have all the information we need.
You are then woken in the morning and equipment is taken down after which you leave the sleep lab to go home between 6 and 7am for breakfast and shower/bath to remove any sticky residue from the sensors. Most children who have slept reasonably are able to attend daycare or school the next day but parents may be very tired and are advised to arrange for a lift if you have a longer drive home.
You may wish to view this video of a set up of a child’s sleep study on Youtube that was filmed at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
