The Sleep Center

Sleep Laboratory

The Sleep Laboratory is located on the seventh floor of the Main Building. Staff conducts a variety of polysomnography studies, including overnight sleep studies, multiple sleep latency tests and inpatient studies, seven nights a week.

Each of the laboratory's six private bedrooms is equipped with low-level, infrared lights that allow the room to be dark while your child is monitored and observed. Specially mounted cameras are used to videotape your child's activities while sleeping.

Sleep study

During a sleep study, we will perform an electroencephalography (EEG) test to measure and record the electrical activity of your child's brain during sleep. We place sensors on your child’s head to assess stages of sleep. In addition, we place special sensors near your child's nose, chest and abdomen to measure his breathing. We may place sensors on your child's legs to measure movement during sleep. All these sensors are applied externally to the skin.

A sleep technologist monitors your child throughout the night. Children are monitored for the quality and quantity of their sleep. We also monitor their breathing and body movements. This helps us diagnose and treat disorders of breathing during sleep as well as movement disorders, problems initiating or maintaining sleep and behavioral sleep disorders.

Helping children feel comfortable during a sleep study

Your child can bring a toy, teddy bear or a favorite blanket from home to help her feel more comfortable. Children usually feel more comfortable if a parent or guardian stays with them — that’s why we provide an extra bed in the child's room. In addition, each bedroom has a television and VCR. Our facility also has a bathroom, microwave and refrigerator. If you need to take a shower you may use any shower area on the sixth, seventh or eighth floor of the Main Building.

Sleep lab hours

Sleep studies are performed seven nights a week. You and your child should arrive at 6 p.m. A registered polysomnography technologist staffs the sleep lab between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. every evening while studies are being conducted.

Contact the sleep lab

If you have any questions or need to change your appointment, please contact us at 215-590-3703, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

  • Print
  • Share

Contact Us

Order a polysomnogram

Step 1

Read the Sleep Laboratory Direct Referral Policy to find out who is eligible to proceed directly to the sleep lab without being seen in the Sleep Clinic first.

Step 2

Download the Polysomnogram Request Form.