鈥� We describe an EEG pattern in pediatric sleep records, called the frequencyamplitude gradient (FAG). This pattern is a progressive decrement in voltage from occipital to frontal areas, with an accompanying decrease in slow frequencies in the same posterior-anterior direction. We report the results of examining 100 sleep records of children between birth and 10 years of age, with a review of the clinical diagnoses. There is a positive correlation between the severity of illness and the presence or absence of FAG. Furthermore, acute illnesses appear to be associated with the transient loss of the FAG, and with its return to normal with clinical recovery. The presence or absence of a FAG should be incorporated into the criteria for determining the normality of pediatric sleep EEGs.