New Streamwood clinic targets youth, teen sleep disorders
Irritability. Hyperactivity. Easy frustration. Poor concentration. Difficulty controlling impulses and emotion.
A child's symptoms may be overlooked or incorrectly attributed to hyperactivity or attention deficit disorders -- when research shows the problem may in fact be sleep deprivation.
For Alexian Brothers Hospital Network, the findings were the catalyst behind its partnership with Merit Centers for Sleep Health to open four area sleep-disorder testing centers.
The most innovative is the new Streamwood location -- the Chicago area's first independent sleep-testing facility dedicated exclusively to pediatric and adolescent sleep studies.
"We found a real need for this," said Matt Wakely, Alexian Brothers' director of public relations. "Very few hospitals can say they're developing such a unique program."
The Merit Center for Sleep Health of Streamwood treats children's sleep disorders such as night terrors, sleepwalking, sleep talking, bedwetting and narcolepsy.
Specialists are also seeing more sleep apnea due to the growing obesity problem.
According to Dr. Anna Ivanenko, the center's medical director, up to a fourth of all children and adolescents suffer from some sort of sleep disorder that can impact all aspects of their functioning.
"There's a growing need in all areas of sleep medicine," she said. "Sleep disorders are highly prevalent and increasingly recognized."
If a physical and behavioral examination warrants further evaluation, patients will stay for an overnight sleep study in a Marriott Hotel-inspired room.
The process may be a bit frightening to children, what with the electrodes, belts and clips that have to be hooked up to monitor sleep activity.
Recognizing a need for a kid-friendly environment, the Streamwood center is bursting with bright colors and kid-friendly décor. Parents have their own overnight accommodations so they don't have to leave. And the staff is specifically trained to work with apprehensive children.
"You can't sedate children for the purpose of sleep study, so it can be difficult to get little kids tested," Ivanenko said.
Results may lead to behavioral adaptations, medication, surgery, oxygen therapy, and diet and exercise plans, she said.
Merit Vice President John Harter said the only other local child-focused center is at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where there tends to be a long wait list.
"Sleep disorders are significantly underdiagnosed in children," said Harter. "They are still a relatively new disease classification, so we're still educating the community."
The Merit Center for Sleep Health of Streamwood, 900 E. Irving Park Road, will host an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Call (888) 637-4848.
In addition to Streamwood, Merit and Alexian Brothers opened a four-bed facility in Arlington Heights and a six-bed sleep lab on the St. Alexius Medical Center campus in Hoffman Estates.
Also under construction is a six-bed sleep-testing center in nearby Prairie Stone office park in Hoffman Estates, which will specialize in special-needs patients.