Isaac, my 3 year old, got his C-pap two weeks ago. We started last Sunday night, and he wore his "elephant nose" (the mask) with the "trunk" (the machine) for 4 1/2 hours before I took it off thinking that was the objective. He just needed 4 hours/night and he did that so we stopped...When I called his RT on Monday, thrilled beyond words that his first night went so well, he chuckled and told me he needed to wear it as much of the night as possible. I said, "okay" and left it at that.  Needlesstosay, he has worn it at least 11 hours/night since then. He is a different child. He is actually asking his friends to play with him, which he has NEVER done without prompting. He is telling stories and remembering things from days gone by. He isn't throwing tantrums anymore and is much easier to reason with when he is on the brink of one.  We are ecstatic at what this will mean for him over the coming year, and are even hopeful that he won't have language/social regressions with vaccines either as those get started back up again in the spring.  

I do want to point out things that we have learned in the last two weeks that have made our lives simpler when it comes to this mask/machine and during the day...

1. To get him to wear it at night, we did this: Pick 2 stories. We read story #1 with just the mask on, we read story #2 with the machine on, and then we sing our little bedtime poem (Snuggle Puppy, just in case you're curious), and leave the room. He cried himself to sleep the first and second nights, whimpered a couple of minutes the third night, and now reminds us to turn it on when we leave.

2. After 2 days of wearing it all night, the boy is eating me out of house and home!  He's always been a good meal eater, and sometimes ate snacks, but he could take 'em or leave 'em. Now, he eats all day long, every day...Growth spurt?? We'll see!

3. He has done much better with going to sleep right after we tuck him in. In the past, he would a lot of times sing to himself for hours before finally giving up the ghost. But now, he rolls over on his side and crashes within seconds!  

4. He is giving up his naps, especially the really long ones!  He is learning to trust his body to tell him he's tired, and we're learning to trust him when he tells us he is or isn't.  Wow! What a difference...

Just in case someone wants to know what we're using. He has the Respironics C-Pap machine with humidifier, which we don't use. His mask is the Flexifit 406, size small.

Hope this finds you all well and enjoying good nights sleep!

Tiffany Acuff. Mom to Isaac, my new "hosehead"!  and to Esther Rose who sleeps like a baby!

Wow sounds like he's doing great! I'm glad you were able to find something taht's working for him :)