Sleep Medicine Research

The Sydney Children’s Hospital (SCH) Department of Sleep Medicine began operations using full overnight polysomnography in 1995.  The invention of CPAP at Sydney University by Professor Sullivan not only changed the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea around the world, but served as the genesis for the new medical subspecialty of Sleep Medicine.

We have state of the art facilities dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in infants and children. We receive extensive referrals from all subspecialties within a tertiary referral hospital. 

The Sydney Children's Hospital provides the infrastructure for the clinical evaluation of sleep disorders in a child-friendly, modern and service-oriented environment: 

• 5-bed sleep laboratory
• Equipment allows a further 2 ambulatory sleep studies per night if required
• Over 800 sleep studies are done annually. In addition, actigraphy and oximetry are part of the service provided
• There are around 200 infants and children on pressure support in the community
• The Department has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed papers and text-book chapters across a board spectrum of high-impact journals.

All night-time sleep technologists and nurses have special training in paediatric care within the Hospital. They  have 24 hr unrestricted access to the sleep physician on call throughout the duration of sleep studies. as well as on site medical staff.

The SCH Department of Sleep Medicine incorporates continuous digital audio-video recording time-linked to physiological signals. The Australian-made modern recording equipment is matched by cutting edge treatment modalities including CPAP, bilevel pressure support (“VPAP” and “BiPAP” and “AVAPS”) and other forms of non-invasive ventilation, across the entire paediatric age range. 

The Sleep Medicine Department is proud to work with expert paediatric otorhinolaryngologists, psychologists, intensivists and neurologists nationally. We receive National Health and Medical Research Council funding for sleep research in children. 

The Department also trains the newest generation of scientists and physicians in this rapidly emerging area of paediatric medicine in Australia. We have also hosted trainees from around Australia and New Zealand as well as India, China, Britain, Brazil, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Switzerland, the Philippines and Canada. 

Selected publications