CPAP + autism experiences?
Hi, so, I am autistic and just woke up from night 3 with my CPAP. I had a bad first night with it and it left me feeling extremely discouraged about CPAP therapy. Nights have gotten somewhat better, but I'm still struggling to adjust to the sensation of having something on my face and head and the routine as a whole. Additionally, I am most comfortable sleeping on my stomach, which doesn't seem to mesh well with CPAP masks in general.
I'm not seeing a lot of improvement in symptoms besides the headaches, but I know I need to give it longer. With that being said, it's still hard not to feel disappointed. I think I was expecting to wake up feeling like a new person after the first night and I woke up still feeling like garbage.
My scores have been 95, 98, and 99, with events per hour being where I'm losing points (20.4 during sleep study down to 8.2 last night). I do plan on exploring other mask options as I currently have the N30i and am uncomfortable in the mask and waking up with a sore nose. I can't make it any looser without causing leaks.
Mostly, I'm looking to hear from other ASD diagnosed or otherwise neurodivergent diagnosed people about their experience with CPAP. I'm struggling with the changes and sensory issues and it's making me feel very discouraged and overwhelmed because I don't see a way for the core of these issues to change while still using CPAP therapy.
TLDR: I'm autistic and want to hear from other neurodivergent people about their experience adjusting to CPAP therapy.