About the Sleep Center

The Sleep Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is an interdisciplinary sleep center dedicated exclusively to the diagnosis and management of sleep problems in children. Because sleep disorders can arise from medical and/or behavioral origins, each child will be seen simultaneously by either a physician or nurse practitioner specializing in sleep and a psychologist at the initial visit. A child may require follow-up visits with only a medical provider or a psychologist, but often follow-up care continues to involve the interdisciplinary team.

Some sleep disorders are medical problems requiring medical intervention. Sometimes, a child’s sleep is disrupted by an unrelated medical problem, such as pain, or a yet-to-be-diagnosed developmental disorder. A variety of sleep issues are caused by behavioral problems and will ease with behavioral interventions, such as establishing routines or developing positive sleep associations.

Given the close connection between sleep and other health, mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, the Sleep Center physicians and psychologists will conduct a thorough evaluation of your child to determine the diagnosis and treatment plan.

We diagnose and care for children with sleep symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, early morning wakings, restless legs, daytime sleepiness, sleep terrors and trouble breathing during sleep. We evaluate all types of sleep disorders, including: insomnia, parasomnias, restless legs syndrome, circadian disorders, narcolepsy, and obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep-disordered breathing conditions.