There is new evidence surgery helps some children sleep and thus behave better.

That's the conclusion of a study published in the new October issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery. The research involved 117 children, whose average age was 6.5 years. They were treated at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. All had been diagnosed with sleep-related breathing problems, including snoring and other factors affecting their air supply.

All underwent surgery to remove their tonsils and adenoids.

Six months later parents reported their child slept significantly better and had significantly fewer behavior problems, including memory and thinking difficulties or hyperactivity.

The results aren't surprising. Such sleep problems are associated with a variety of behavior and learning problems. The sleep woes affect as many as 11 percent of children.