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Updated: Jan 9, 2026
Multi-Modal Home Sleep Monitoring in Older Adults
Published on: January 26, 2019
Feasibility of sleep assessment modalities in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
Gita Gupta1, Louise M O'Brien2, Fauziya Hassan3
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States.
Insights
Assessing sleep in children with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) is feasible using multiple methods. The Apple Watch proved most convenient for tracking sleep patterns in LGS patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Clinical Research Methods
Background:
- Sleep disorders are common and impactful in children with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS).
- Effective sleep assessment methods are crucial for LGS research and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the feasibility of various sleep assessment modalities in children with LGS.
- To evaluate caregiver experience and completion rates for different sleep tracking methods.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of polysomnography, home sleep apnea tests (HSAT), biweekly questionnaires, daily Apple Watch tracking, and daily sleep logs.
- Participants (children with LGS) and caregivers rated convenience and preference.
- Primary outcome was the completion rate of each modality over a 2-4 week period.
Main Results:
- High completion rates for one-time polysomnography (100%) and HSAT (94%).
- Biweekly questionnaire completion decreased over time (78% to 36%).
- Daily Apple Watch tracking showed 100% completion; daily logs had 64% completion. Apple Watch was preferred.
Conclusions:
- Longitudinal, multi-modal ambulatory sleep assessments are feasible in children with LGS for up to two weeks.
- Wearable devices like the Apple Watch offer a convenient and preferred method for daily sleep monitoring in this population.
Background:
Sleep disorders in children with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) are reported to be common, consequential, and potentially treatable. To design effective studies of sleep in LGS, feasible methods of sleep assessment in affected children must be determined.
Methods:
We prospectively studied the feasibility of the following sleep assessment modalities among families whose child had LGS: 1. polysomnogram, 2. home sleep apnea test (HSAT), 3. biweekly sleep questionnaire, 4. daily sleep tracking device (Apple Watch), and 5. daily sleep logs. Participants were enrolled in a 2-week study with the option to participate for an additional two weeks. Caregivers rated their experience of each modality. The primary outcome was percent completion of each sleep assessment modality.
Results:
Among 32 participants (mean age 12.0 ± 3.2 years), 10/10 families who agreed to polysomnography, and 15/16 of families who agreed to HSAT completed these one-time modalities. Completion rates of the biweekly sleep questionnaires were 78 % (baseline), 25 % (two weeks), and 36 % (four weeks). Completion rates of the daily modalities for the combined sample were: 1. Apple Watch: median 100 % (IQR 100 %,100 %) of planned nights by the 16/32 participants who opted in, and 2. daily sleep logs: median 64 % of planned days (IQR 0,95 %). Nearly 90 % of participants remained in the study at the end of two weeks. The Apple Watch was rated as the most convenient and most preferred modality.
Conclusion:
It may be feasible to conduct longitudinal multi-modal ambulatory assessments of sleep of children with LGS for up to two weeks.
