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"Sleep Is The Golden Chain That
Ties Health
And Our Bodies Together” -Thomas Decker 1572-1632
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Find a Sleep Specialist l Pediatrics
 According
to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, more than
70 million Americans suffer from some form of sleep disorder,
and at least 95% are undiagnosed. Our Sleep Lab provides quality
and comprehensive care to those in need
of sleep medicine. We have long understood the relationship
of sleep to overall physical health and the importance of the
increased study of sleep disorders. Disturbances
of sleep and alertness impact on daytime function and possibly
even survival.
Sleep disorders include:
- Insomnia: This is defined as too little
sleep and its causes are varied.
- Sleep Apnea: This is a disorder in which there
are recurring episodes of breathing cessation during sleep.
- Restless Legs Syndrome/Periodic Leg Movements: This
is a condition in which the legs feel extremely uncomfortable unless
they are moving.
- Narcolepsy: A person with narcolepsy experiences
episodes of uncontrollable daytime sleepiness.
- Sleepwalking: Sleep walking usually occurs during
the first third of the night and can be very brief in duration or
go on as long as a half an hour.
 We
are a four-bed facility, accredited by the American Academy
of Sleep Medicine (AASM). We use the “team approach”,
in which each patient is our focus. Our staff is concerned with
the patient’s
total care, including diagnosis, testing, ordering of equipment
and encouraging patients to call the lab with any questions or
concerns regarding their sleep disorder.
We focus on accommodating our patients' busy lives, including
having a shower available for patients so they may go to work after
their study, scheduling weekend studies, and providing a comfortable
environment for pediatric and adolescent studies, for both the
patient and parents.
Once we have determine the best treatment for a sleep disorder,
a complete physical exam and medical history must start the process.
In some cases, the sleep disorder can be secondary to a more serious
illness, such as lung disease or a neuromuscular disease. Once it
has been determined that the symptoms are that of a sleep disorder,
a night at the sleep laboratory is required to complete the diagnosis.
At the Sleep Lab, the patient arrives around 8:00pm, and brings along
normal sleepwear. In a private room, the patient will spend the night
while sensitive equipment records eye movements, brain waves, breathing,
leg kicking, heart beat and oxygen levels during sleep. The physiological
assessment of the sleeping patient is known as polysomnography and
has been developed with the recognition that many serious sleep disorders
are only evident while the patient is actually asleep. The polysomnographer
reports the results of these tests to the physician for interpretation.
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, a course of treatment can be defined
and discussed. Treatments range from simple behavioral modification,
such as weight loss or relaxation techniques, to medications, to a
nose mask worn during sleep to prevent airway collapse, and in rare
cases, surgery to remove or alleviate breathing blockages. Most sleep
disorders are easily diagnosed and treatable.
We offer the sleep disorders patient a complete array of
state-of-the-art diagnostic, preventative, counseling and treatment
services. Each private room
is equipped with a television, reading lamp and comfortable furniture,
and showers are available. The Sleep Lab offers many amenities
to help patients feel more comfortable and “at home”.
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), 2001
- Association of Polysomnographic Technicians
- Physicians who are board certified in Sleep Medicine, Pulmonary
Disease and Psychiatry
Phone: 609-599-6206
Fax: 609-599-6275
Monday-Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm
Evenings for Testing: 7:00pm-7:00am
Weekends always available for testing upon request.
A.W.A.K.E. Meetings - Call 609-599-6206 for further information
Nothing is more important than your child's health & well-being. About
69%
of children 10 and under experience some type of sleep problem according
to the National Sleep Foundations (NSF) 2004 Sleep Poll in America.
More
than half of adolescents reported that they feel too tired during the
day.
The St. Francis Sleep Disorder Program, accredited by the American
Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), is dedicated to giving your child
an
awake, alert and energetic future.
If your child experiences any
of the following symptoms, they may be suffering from a sleep disorder:
Nighttime symptoms:
*Loud snoring
*Restless
sleep
*Swearing
*Persistent
bed wetting
*Noisy/Mouth breathing *Multiple awakening
*Gasps/pauses/snorts in breathing
Daytime symptoms:
*Behavior problems
*Difficult to wake up
*Headaches
*Irritability/Crankiness
*Lack of focus/Day dreaming
*Mood swings
*Excessive
daytime sleepiness/Hyperactivity
The most common sleep disorders
that affect children are:
Insomia - Is
the inability to sleep enough at night, difficulty falling
asleep
or frequent
nighttime awakenings.
Sleepwalking - Sleepwalking is experienced
by 40% of children and
usually
occurs during the first third of the night.
Sleep Talking - Is when a child talks, laughs
or cries in their sleep.
Sleep Apnea - Is characterized
by reoccurring episodes of breathing
cessation
during sleep caused by an obstruction in the
upper
respiratory tract passages.
Sleep Terrors - Are abrupt, frightening loud
screams associated
with
tachycardia, sweating and sometimes bedwetting.
Bedwetting - Five percent
of children wet the bed at age five, and
by
age 10, only half of those children will remain untrained.
Nacrolepsy - Is characterized
by uncontrollable daytime sleepiness.
ADHD and Sleep:
Children
with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can experience
symptoms of several sleep disorders including increases bedtime
resistance, awakenings, bedwetting, restless legs, daytime sleepiness,
and limit-setting sleep disorders. A subset of children with
ADHD may have periodic limb movement disorder and treatment of
this problem may improve their ADHD.
How Much Sleep is Enough?
Toddlers/Children
12-18
months.....................................................13-15
hours
18 months-3 years.............................................12-14
hours
3-5 years............................................................11-13
hours
5-12 years............................................................9-11
hours
Adolescents
12+....................................................................8.5-9.5
hours
Adults.....................................................................7-9
hours
The sleep lab is focused on up to date research and information regarding
sleep medicine. Dr. Marc Seelagy is currently involved in a pediatric
clinical drug trial involving sleep medication.
 “My
technician was excellent and deserves to be commended. So many times
people are over looked when they do a good job”.
“Very nice and professional staff”
“This was a positive experience thanks to the professional and
sensitive technicians.”
"Staff was very knowledgeable about the test and equipment used"
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