What to Expect

• Fill out and bring to your appointment:

1. Sleep Disorders Center Patient Intake Questionnaire (PDF) (Spanish)
2. Pediatric Sleep Log (PDF) (Spanish) Log sleep for at least 7 nights, ideally.

• Get records and test results. We need information related to your child’s condition to help avoid duplication of tests or having to reschedule or come for an extra visit.
• Ask your child’s primary care provider to fax your child’s records to us at 206-985-3121 or come with copies.
• Examples include growth charts, prior sleep studies and recent blood work.
• Learn more about what to do before your appointment.

We see children of all ages with problems sleeping. Some common problems include:

• Snoring
• Insomnias
• Parasomnias (sleepwalking, sleep talking and night terrors)
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Narcolepsy

See the full list of conditions we treat.

• Attending pediatric sleep doctor – Licensed doctor with specialty training in childhood sleep disorders. The doctor sees patients in clinic, reviews sleep study results and oversees care if they are admitted.
• Fellow – Licensed doctor who is completing specialty training in childhood sleep disorders. If your child sees a fellow, they also will see an attending physician.
• Nurse practitioner (NP) – Advanced practice provider (APP) who sees patients independently in clinic and has experience caring for children with sleep disorders.
• Registered nurse (RN) – Partners with the doctor or APP to answer questions. Provides information about your child’s disease or condition, medicines, tests and care. You may meet them during the clinic visit or talk to them on the phone.
• Medical assistant– Trained staff who assist providers and nurses before, during and after the clinic visit. They prepare patients for exams and treatment; take measurements, vital signs and patient history; and coordinate communication between the patient and the care team.
• Learn more about your Sleep Medicine team

1. You will meet with one of our Sleep Medicine providers to share your concerns about your child's sleep.
2. They will do a physical exam of your child, including vital signs, height and weight measurements. It is important that we have information about your child's overall physical and mental health, as poor sleep affects both.
3. The Sleep Medicine provider may recommend further testing and may order blood work or polysomnography (overnight sleep study). The sleep study will need to be scheduled on a different day to make sure the appropriate study is ordered and the child is prepared.

• Your first visit is usually 1 hour but could last longer.
• During the 1-hour visit, we will collect a complete history of your child’s sleep and health, family history of illness and do a physical exam.
• The visit may also include blood tests. We will decide if more testing needs to be done. Sometimes this includes ordering an overnight sleep study (polysomnography).

• Please fill out and bring:

1. Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PDF)
2. Pediatric Sleep Log (PDF): Log sleep for at least 7 nights.

• Copies of your child’s health records, including growth chart and height and weight records. You can ask your child’s primary care provider to fax them to us at 206-985-3121.
• Test results related to your child’s condition, past sleep study reports and blood work results.
• Your child’s medicines or a list. Include nonprescription items like vitamins and supplements and special diets. Include name, dose and instructions.
• Any forms that might need to be signed by our providers.
• Snacks for your child if your appointment runs longer than planned.
• Books, small toys or tablets for your child to play with during their visit. The first clinic appointment may be a longer visit, depending on your child’s needs.

• To help diagnose and treat your child’s condition, the provider will make sure you leave the appointment with detailed instructions about what will happen next and try to answer all of your questions.
• More tests and procedures, like blood tests and an overnight sleep study, may help with diagnosis and treatment. If this is the case, we will help you schedule those.
• Once we know your child’s condition, we can start treatment. Sometimes giving your child a diagnosis takes more than 1 visit.
• If your child needs follow-up appointments, we will help you schedule those at the registration desk before you leave.
• After your first visit, we will send a copy of your visit consultation to your child’s primary care provider or the provider who referred your child to our Sleep Medicine program. Your child’s primary care provider will continue to be your child’s main resource for care. We will talk to them about the visit and if you need to return for follow-up appointments.

• For blood work results, we will follow up with you by phone or mail within a week.
• Sleep study results can take longer to review. When you come for the sleep study, we will set up a follow-up appointment to review the results with you.

If you have concerns with the treatment plan or if things are not improving, call 206-987-5072, option 4, to speak to a nurse.

• Call 206-987-5072, option 1, as soon as possible. To cancel, please call at least 24 hours before your appointment.
• If you are more than 20 minutes late for your appointment, we may need to reschedule for a different day.

• See Patient and Family Resources for Sleep Medicine to learn about tests and procedures your child might have
• Learn more about preparing your child for a clinic visit.

• The Sleep Medicine program offers appointments in Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way and Tri-Cities. Sleep studies are only done in Bellevue at Seattle Children’s at Overlake.
• Find your location in our map and directions section.  
• Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment to allow time for registration.