SLEEP CENTERS CAPITALIZE ON KIDS' NEED FOR A GOOD NIGHT'S REST.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

ENCINO - When Dr. Sally Ward, a sleep specialist, was told her next patient lacked communication skills and received less-than-stellar grades, a quizzical look came across her face.

``Am I the right person to treat this patient?'' she asked.

But, after observing the child for an evening, it was determined that an abnormality was stifling his normal breathing patterns and was treated using a breathing device.

``(His) grades immediately went from C's to A's - it turns out he was just really sleepy,'' Ward said.

Ward has studied the effects of sleep disorders for 15 years and she's now the medical director of Moonlight Sleep Labs Pediatric Facility in Encino.

Her experience practicing medicine in large hospitals instead of working at a private business like Moonlight isn't a detriment, though. She said with the increase in public recognition of sleep disorders, clinics like Moonlight are cropping up across the country.

Moonlight is owned by Utah-based Sleep Management Services. Founded in 1996, the company has about a dozen sleep labs located in California, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado.

``The industry is gaining popularity as more people today are understanding the reasons children are unable to get a good night's sleep,'' Ward said.

With more than 40 million people in the United States suffering from a sleep disorder, the leading cause is sleep apnea. Apnea, which means ``without breath'' in Greek, is characteristic of the disorder because tissues in the throat collapse during sleep. Ward said this is the most common disorder she diagnoses at the facility.

Still, while Moonlight's expertise is diagnosing sleep disorders, it's waking up a whole new niche.

``We want to be on top in the sleep industry,'' said Erika Paskhover, Moonlight's clinical director. ``And we're attempting to do this by offering top-quality patient care, excellent equipment and a comfortable environment.''

Diagnosis doesn't come cheap, though.

A night at Moonlight, where patients have access to cable TV, videotapes, a juice bar, robes, slippers, toiletries and diagnosis, can run around $1,900, Paskhover said. However, most insurance companies cover the cost.

A typical evening at Moonlight starts around 8 p.m. Bedspreads bedecked with cartoons and pillows surrounded by Winnie the Pooh and Buzz Lightyear welcome Moonlight's guests. Two books that sit idly at the foot of one bed, ``Thomas The Really Useful Engine'' and ``Elmo's Big Lift-and-Look Book,'' act as natural sedatives, according to Ward.

``We try to create an environment that is as welcoming as possible,'' said Ward, who is certified with the American Board of Sleep Medicine.

After an extensive questionnaire detailing the health and sleep history of the patient, he or she is fitted with electronic sensors that record and relay information about muscle activity, brain waves, heart rate and other body functions. A camera monitors the patient, while notes are taken by a technician every 20 minutes.

``We use very light wires so the patient isn't disturbed by the monitoring,'' Ward said.

After the study is completed, it is scored by technicians who document and interpret behavioral as well as psychological changes in the patient.

``We then notify their doctor, and they (the patient) are treated ... we only diagnose,'' Ward said.

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Photo:

(color) Dr. Sally Ward sits in one of Moonlight Sleep Labs Pediatric Facility's sleep rooms, where children spend a night amid the comforts of home.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer