What to Expect When Your Child Needs a Sleep Study

First Published: December 2018
Updated: August 2025

There are many reasons why your child’s doctor may order a sleep study. The most common reason is to check for breathing problems while your child sleeps.

A sleep study is exactly what it sounds like: your child is studied while they sleep. During the night, special equipment tracks brain activity, breathing, heartbeat, eye movements, and muscle movements. This helps the doctor understand how your child is sleeping and whether anything is making their sleep less restful.

What Happens During a Sleep Study?

You can think of a sleep study like a special sleepover. But instead of friends, your child will have you—the parent—staying with them. A bed is provided for both of you.

When you arrive and settle in, a sleep technician will begin the setup. This is painless and only helps gather information while your child sleeps. The technician will place:

• Belts around the chest and tummy to measure breathing and heart rhythm.
• Small soft tubes near the nose and mouth to check airflow.
• Sticky sensors (like small stickers) and discs on the head, chest, legs, and arms to track brain waves and body movements.

It might look like a lot of wires, but none of it hurts. Most children are able to fall asleep soon after the lights go out.

While your child is sleeping, it’s important for you to try to rest too. Avoid using your phone or making noise, since that can wake your child. If your child needs to get up to use the bathroom, that’s no problem. The sleep technician will safely disconnect the wires so your child can walk to the restroom.

What Happens After a Sleep Study?

During the night, the sleep technician stays in another room, watching the signals from the equipment. They make sure everything is working and collect all the data.

In the morning, the technician will remove all the stickers and wires. After that, you and your child are free to go home. In rare cases, if the sleep study shows something very serious—like severe sleep apnea or very low oxygen levels—your child may need to stay in the hospital another night for closer monitoring and care.

The sleep team will carefully study the information. Then they share the results with your child’s doctor. Your doctor will talk with you about what the study showed and if any treatment is needed. The goal is always the same: to help your child breathe and sleep better.