About the clinic
The Sleep Clinic is at the Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital. Children from infancy through to 18 years of age are evaluated for all types of sleep problems.
The clinic has links to medical and surgical ENT services at RCH and The Melbourne Children's Sleep Unit at Monash Medical Centre.
Patients are bulk billed for their consultations and therefore will need a referral letter from their local doctor or paediatrician.
About sleep problems
Up to one third of families have concerns about their child's sleeping patterns which can have a major impact on the performance of the child at home and school, and on family functioning.
Problems seen include:
- Bedtime difficulties and frequent night time waking
- Obstructive sleep apnoea, snoring and breathing difficulties
- Night terrors, sleep walking, and other parasomnias
- Night time anxiety
- Sleep disturbances in developmentally disabled children
- Insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders
- Excessive daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy
- Periodic limb movement disorder.
Clinic staff include consultant paediatricians, senior paediatric trainees and clinic coordinators. There may be teaching and research activities in the clinic.
Sleep studies
When a sleep study is required, this is arranged at the Melbourne Children's Sleep Centre, based at Monash Medical Centre.
Patients are followed up back in the Sleep Clinic with the sleep study results.