Mercy Health Partners News

Mercy Health Partners is now offering comprehensive assessment and treatment of children with a variety of sleep problems at two convenient locations—Mercy Sleep Center at St. Mary’s Medical Center North and Mercy Sleep Center at Baptist Hospital West.

Sleep problems evaluated at the new Pediatric Sleep Clinics include:
• Snoring and breathing difficulties, which can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea
• Bedtime refusal
• Difficulty staying asleep
• Sleepwalking
• Sleep terrors
• Nightmares and nighttime fears
• Excessive daytime sleepiness

“Nearly one of every four children will experience a sleep disturbance sometime between infancy and adolescence. In fact, children’s sleep problems are among the top five parental concerns presented to pediatricians,” says Christopher Nolte, M.D., M.S., director of Mercy’s Pediatric Sleep Clinics. Dr. Nolte is a board-certified neurologist and an expert on sleep problems of children.

“A child who has trouble sleeping rarely suffers alone,” Dr. Nolte says. “The whole family is affected. Even a common childhood sleep problem, such as nighttime waking, may warrant professional attention if it is long-standing or beginning to affect the child’s mood, behavior or school performance.”

According to Dr. Nolte, there are a number of proven treatments available that go beyond simply “letting the child cry it out.” Most childhood sleep disturbances can be resolved quickly through outpatient care and without medication. Some sleep-related symptoms, such as snoring, may require an overnight sleep study. Pediatric sleep services are covered by most insurance policies.

To learn more about the Pediatric Sleep Clinics or to schedule an evaluation by a sleep specialist, call 865-545-7522.

Mercy Sleep Centers are part of Mercy Health Partners.  Mercy was formed by the merger of St. Mary’s Health System and Baptist Health System of East Tennessee in 2008.  The new healthcare system operates seven acute-care hospitals and many other healthcare facilities across East Tennessee.  More than 1,000 of the area’s leading physicians are on the active staff at Mercy facilities.  One of East Tennessee’s largest employers, Mercy has 5,700 associates dedicated to providing compassionate care using the latest medical technology.

For physician referral and service information, please call the Ask Mercy phone line at 632-5200 (toll-free at 877-368-7362).  A complete list of Mercy physicians, facilities, services and extensive health information is available online at www.mercy.com.

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Contact:  Craig Griffith
     865-545-7565 (office)
     865-202-6520 (cell)