My teenage son has autism and I can't get him to wear his mask

He was recently diagnosed and has the kind of mask that just goes over his nose. At 1st it was anxiety but I made him wear it every hour during the day for 1 minute so he doesn't really have the anxiety about it anymore. He says he can't sleep with it on. I know it's hard to get used to but he really needs to do this for his health and his life. I don't know what to do? I thought about if a different mask would be better? Or an oral appliance but that's not covered by insurance I think. Suggestions?

The nasal pillow type masks tend to be the most comfortable, but the easiest to remove. Full face can be the least comfortable but are harder to remove. Nasal masks are somewhere in between. Some people get used to them by watching TV or something else distracting during the day.

What was the diagnosis AHI? In the UK for example, a CPAP is not prescribed until AHI is over 15.

Hi Lauriebaby2001

You sound like you have a difficult job on your hands.

How serious is his Apnea?

I presume that the equipment is all working correctly?

Is it possible that an adjustment of some sort or an increase in pressure would make him feel better about it?

Sometimes something simple like turning off the ramp function can make quite a difference.

Beyond the technicalities I suspect that it might come down to prompts and incentives and a whole field of strategies that you may be the only one capable of finding a way through.

Does he have peers or mentors who could be encouraged to put a positive spin on it for him?

He scored a 17 which is why I'm trying so hard to get him to wear it. I have him wear it in the daytime while he plays video games to get him used to wearing it and the air flow but he resists at night because he says he can't sleep with it. He has the nasal mask. I think it's more the tube attached to it that makes it uncomfortable for him to sleep with it. I know he just needs to do it and get used to it but I'm struggling to find a positive way of getting him to do it.

The hose can be annoying.

I have RBD and need to be able to move around extensively during the night so I use a cheap hose holder like those in the following images link. The one I chose just tucks under the mattress and holds the hose above my head. I think it cost me around $10 including postage.

CPAP Hose Holder Images

I think everyone eventually comes up with a hose solution that they like. The very first thing I learned when starting on a CPAP is that you have to get "something" to support the hose. If you just lay it between you and the CPAP machine, it is only a matter of time until the hose falls off the side of the bed and spends the rest of the night trying to pull the mask off your face. That is not a solution.

My first "better idea" was a hose support hanger of some kind, or some method of using the headboard to hold the hose. Nothing seemed to work that well for me. Finally I just routed the hose between my pillow and the headboard, and then down the middle of the bed. Now the whole hose was supported by the bed and stayed there all night. Then I came up with a hose routing that went down the middle of the bed to waist level and about where the machine hose connected to the mask hose. From there I route the hose up my chest and to my mask. My one arm is basically over the hose, while the hose is beside me and on my chest. I find I can sleep on my back that way, or on either side.

There may be another better way, but this is the one that I have made peace with!

I do like my Dreamwear Nasal Pillow Mask as the hose comes out of the top. It is totally out of the way.