My 2 1/2 Is Suddenly Not Sleeping Through the Night!

Hi my name is T.,
My daughter had alot of problems when she was little. Breathing issues, several surgeries including the same as your little girl. I had issues with her health from about 7 months on. It is hard to deal with, you feel so helpless. I found that every time my daughter had a surgery, her sleep patern would be messed up. I found that it would pass in time, but I also did several things to help her relax. I placed a sm just 10 gal goldfish tank in her room, I think the sound of the air pump and the bright fish kept her relaxed. I also had a sound device that she loved. Even at 3 yrs she loved to have the Bear that had the womb sounds. I think that when they have the SX, it takes them some time for there little bodies to reajust. I hope that I have been some what helpful.
T.

I do not know If I can Help but I Had the same surgery when I was 16.
I use to wake up feeling like I was being suffocated, my throat felt like it was cracking,and I would have flem and mucus in my throat from the surgery and be coughing a lot. What I did was drink water and used a throat spray to ease the dry cracking feeling and the throat spray to ease the pain or asprin.
I had a reaction to the anesthesia I would wake like your daughter and even at that age my mother would come in and wake me and comfort me so I would'nt freak out so bad.
I do not know if this will help, but it is some ideas.
C.

S.,
I don't have any solutions, but what your daughter is going through sounds like what my 2 1/2 year old daughter has been going through ever since her 7 month old brother was born. She often wakes at night crying and when I go in to check on her she isn't really aware that I am there. Other times she wakes up and comes into our bedroom (she has been in a toddler bed since she was 20 months). Other times she sleeps through the night. I never know what to expect. I think the surgery may be one of those events that causes disruptions in "normal" sleep behavior (like vacations or new siblings). Hopefully your daugher's won't last as long as my daughter's has. Good luck!

Dear S.,

Maybe she could be encouraged to sleep on her side, by using a pillow at her back. Although I am an older person, and I do not know all of the sleeping rules that are supposed to be used nowadays.

I think that if you continue to comfort her without talking or waking her, that she will eventually learn to comfort herself and sleep through the night again. Maybe the surgery was a worry to her, especially since she does not have the words to let you know what she is thinking now. At least she is not screaming, that must be a comfort to you because then you would know that she is very upset about something.

C. N.

S.,

It sounds like going through surgery and the pain that follows was traumatic for her. If it were me, I'd get up and tuck her into bed when she needs it and know that by supporting her now, she will get through it in her own time and be back to sleeping through the night. My 3.5 year old is autistic and he still rarely sleeps through the night. I just try to be there when he needs me and I know he'll eventually grow out of this stage.

:-)T.

My husband is a product of having Sleep Apnea as a child and what you are explaining sounds like what my husband went through as a child and still does on a different level as an adult. Did you ever talk to your doctor about sleep apnea, there are things to help them although fairly uncomfortable it will help with sleep. He eventually had jaw surgery at 18 but with excessive weight gain he still does it. Don't mean to freak you out I just wanted to let you know that it could be similar to that. Let me know if you have other questions or comments.