The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

My 2-Year-Old Has Trouble Falling And Staying Asleep After Having Tonsils Removed

by Meagan Ober
(Pineville)

I'm desperate and will accept any and all advice at this point. In the past, before my son's tonsils were removed, if my son woke during the night and stayed awake, especially more than one night in a row, we took him to the doctor. Sure enough, every time his sleeplessness had been caused by severe ear infections or tonsillitis.


After having his tonsils removed and tubes replaced (he previously had tubes but one fell out so both were replaced), my once easy bed time baby has turned into anything but easy.

I've refused naps to have him act out because of being tired. I've given early naps trying to return to a known routine that's worked for us.

I don't know how he's doing it and not passing out from exhaustion but he'll go 3 or 4 days in a row taking only enough sleep to barely qualify a nap and be up for hours.

Then one night he sleeps all the way because he's so tired. I've tried replicating the events from the day he slept with no luck. I've tried low dose of melatonin and Benadryl. We have wasted so much gas driving around trying to get him to sleep, but he just sings and is OK being awake.

I took him to the ENT doctor today and explained he had to be sick, because it's the only reason I can think of that would make him stay awake night after night, but he's healthy. Tomorrow we are going to his GP, she'll listen more to me than the overworked ENT.

I want to know how other parents have kept their sanity because I'm on the verge of losing it. I also have a 6-year-old daughter that is suffering from lack is attention. Please anything, advice, treatment, something to ask the doctor about?

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Experiences With Sleep Disorders In Children.



Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.