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On average, patients who use Zocdoc can search for a doctor for Sleep Problems, book an appointment, and see the doctor within 24 hours. Same-day appointments are often available, you can search for real-time availability of doctors for Sleep Problems in your area who accept your insurance and make an appointment online.
Zocdoc lets you search specifically for doctors for Sleep Problems who take your insurance. Just choose your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. If you’re not sure which plan you have, you can use Zocdoc’s insurance checker to find out.
Zocdoc is a free online service that helps patients find doctors for Sleep Problems and book appointments instantly. You can search for doctors for Sleep Problems or any other visit reason. Then, enter your desired appointment location and choose your insurance plan. Based on that information, you’ll see a list of providers who meet your search criteria, along with their available appointment slots.
When you search for Sleep Problems doctors on Zocdoc, you can filter your results by gender, in addition to other criteria. That way, you’ll only see doctors who match your preferences.
On Zocdoc, you can search specifically for Sleep Problems doctors with availability after 5 p.m.
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Sleep Problems doctors on Zocdoc who see patients through online video visits will have a purple video icon on their profiles. You can also filter your search results to show only Sleep Problems doctors who offer video visits.
Most insurers provide coverage for video visits at the same cost as in-person visits. You can search on Zocdoc specifically for Sleep Problems doctors who accept your insurance for video visits by selecting your carrier and plan from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. We recommend you check with your insurance carrier directly to confirm your coverage and out of pocket costs for video visits.
Zocdoc lets you search specifically for a Sleep Problems doctor who has appointments available before 10:00 am, or after 5:00 pm. Just choose the special hours filter at the top of our search page.
Zocdoc let's you see real-time availability for Sleep Problems doctors. Many Sleep Problems doctors offer appointments on Saturdays and Sundays.
Children need quality sleep just as much as adults. Sleep is essential for optimal mind-body functioning and growth in children. Research indicates that sleep is critical for healthy psychosocial and cognitive development in children and dramatically impacts their focus, memory, motor skill development, mood regulation, and learning capacity.
Sleep disorders in children can affect the entire family. However, there are ways to help improve the quality of their sleep. If your child is experiencing sleep disturbances, you should take them to a pediatric sleep specialist. They are doctors specializing in diagnosing, treating, and managing sleep disorders (also known as sleep-wake disorders).
The American Psychiatric Association defines these conditions as problems with sleep quality, timing, and duration. Pediatric sleep specialists often work in tandem with dental specialists, pediatric cardiologists, pediatric otolaryngologists, pediatric psychiatrists, and psychologists.
Pediatric sleep specialists obtain a pre-medical undergraduate degree and spend four years in medical school, from where they graduate with an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree. Next, they complete a pediatric residency and a one-year sleep medicine fellowship. All pediatric sleep specialists require a license to practice medicine.
Additionally, doctors with a certification in general pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty can clear a standardized examination to earn a certificate in sleep medicine. The American Board of Pediatrics offers this certificate in collaboration with the following:
Pediatric sleep specialists diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, including sleep apnea, idiopathic hypersomnia, narcolepsy, nightmare disorder, restless legs syndrome, and night terrors. If your child has one or more of the following symptoms, consider taking them to a pediatric sleep specialist to detect whether they have a sleep disorder. Some of the common signs to look out for in your child are:
Pediatric sleep apnea is a sleep ailment that causes children to have paused breathing while they sleep. There are two types: obstructive and central sleep apnea. The former results from a blockage in the back of the nose or throat, while the latter occurs when the part of the brain responsible for breathing does not send the usual signals to the muscles.
The main difference between the two disorders is chronic snoring, which can occur with central apnea but is one of the most prominent symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. Other signs of pediatric sleep apnea include:
This condition can lead to prolonged sleep disturbances and chronic daytime fatigue if untreated. Children with untreated sleep apnea can also experience hyperactivity, growth delay, problems socializing, high blood pressure, and heart problems.
If you suspect your child has sleep apnea, see a pediatrician. They can refer you to a pediatric sleep specialist, who will inquire about your child's symptoms and conduct a physical examination. Adequate testing is crucial, as parents and doctors can overlook signs of sleep apnea or treat them as symptoms of a different condition, leading to a faulty diagnosis.
To better understand your child's symptoms, the sleep specialist might schedule a sleep study, for which your child will have to spend the night at a sleep clinic or a hospital. A sleep technician will place test sensors on your child's body to monitor the following throughout the night: heart rate, oxygen levels, breathing patterns, muscle activity, and brain wave patterns. Sleep apnea can co-occur with heart conditions, so your sleep specialist might also order an electrocardiogram (ECG).
While there is no standardized sleep apnea treatment for children, your sleep specialist can devise a treatment plan based on the nature and severity of your child's symptoms. Some children outgrow sleep apnea. In other cases, treatment options include lifestyle changes, nasal steroids (medicines that relieve nasal congestion), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, ventilation devices, oral appliances, and surgery (tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy).
Here are some tips that can help your child get good quality sleep:
Melatonin is a crucial hormone secreted by the brain. When melatonin levels are higher, a person feels sleepy and is ready for bed. However, blue light emitted from screens of various electronic devices, such as phones, televisions, tablets, and computer monitors, can affect melatonin production. Thus, the brain remains active, and it's harder to rest or fall asleep.
Therefore, shut off screens an hour before bedtime and try to make your child’s bedroom a screen-free zone. Keep phones and electronic devices outside the bedroom or in Do Not Disturb mode. Have a reading time after dinner, as reading stories helps relax children's brains and prepare them for bed.
You must plan a proper sleep time for your child. Set a wake-up time and determine the hours of uninterrupted sleep your child needs, including afternoon naps. This sleep time should be non-negotiable. If you have teens, this may lead to tough decisions and conversations about activities and schedules. You may suggest they cut back on some of their leisure activities and ask them to finish homework earlier.
If you want your child to go to bed early, you must start the bedtime routine early. No one can go to sleep immediately after an intense mental or physical activity. Therefore, if you want your child to sleep by 8 p.m., their bedtime routine should start around 7 or 7:30 p.m. The routine should be relaxing, comforting, and consistent, and you will notice your child automatically feeling sleepy during those routine hours.
Try to keep the same sleep routine even on holidays and vacations. Our bodies perform much better when we follow a routine; the same is true for children. A little leeway is acceptable, such as sleeping an hour later if you know your child will get an extra hour of sleep in the morning. However, for children who wake up early regardless of their sleep time, staying awake past bedtime may not be suitable.
Signs of sleep disorders in children can go unnoticed, but seeing the right doctor can help your child receive the proper treatment for their condition and avoid major health complications. Thanks to Zocdoc, finding a reliable pediatric sleep specialist has never been easier!
To get started, visit the Zocdoc website and create an account. Next, enter the medical specialty of the doctor you are looking for, your location, and your preferred appointment date and time. The website will then list all the doctors matching your criteria. Zocdoc also helps you narrow the search results by filtering the doctors according to their gender and languages spoken.
To find a provider who accepts your insurance, add your insurance information (your insurance provider and plan) to the Zocdoc search. You will see in-network providers who accept your plan. When you search for providers on the Zocdoc app, upload a photo of your insurance card. The app will then scan and display your insurance plan (the option is not available for vision and dental plans). Check out Zocdoc's patient help center for more information and solutions related to insurance.
On Zocdoc, each doctor has a dedicated profile containing information about their education, specialization, certifications, and experience. The profiles also display reviews and ratings from past patients to help you identify a sleep specialist best suited for your child's concerns.
Whether you want to take your child to a pediatric sleep specialist near you in person or prefer a virtual session, Zocdoc can help. While browsing the list of healthcare providers on the website, look for a purple video icon next to doctors' names, which indicates they offer online consultations.
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As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, in 2018–2019, the highest occurrence of shortened sleep duration among children, ranging from 4 months to 14 years, was observed within the 6–12 age group, at approximately 38.4%. Also, according to the National Library of Medicine, the occurrence rates of teeth grinding in children range significantly from 13% to 49%.
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine found that approximately 7-11% of children have a nighttime breathing condition; around 90% do not receive a diagnosis. As per the American Academy of Pediatrics, sleep problems affect about 25-50% of all children and 40% of all adolescents.
The American Board of Pediatrics
American Academy of Family Physicians
The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.