My son refuses to use his Cpap

Hello,
I'm seeking advice on my 15-year-old son's sleep apnea machine. He refuses to use it, saying it keeps him awake. With Type 1 Diabetes and Graves' disease, he's overwhelmed by the additional monitoring tasks. Unfortunately, I can only monitor from a distance as he lives with his mother who doesn't assist.
Can we return the item? It cost $800 plus $100 monthly for monitoring. He's had it for 2 months and used it maybe 5 times.
Thanks for any advice.

Frustrated Dad wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 28, 2025 12:49 pm

Can we return the item?

You need to call whoever you got the machine from.

Frustrated Dad wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 28, 2025 12:49 pm

Hello,
I'm seeking advice on my 15-year-old son's sleep apnea machine. He refuses to use it, saying it keeps him awake. With Type 1 Diabetes and Graves' disease, he's overwhelmed by the additional monitoring tasks. Unfortunately, I can only monitor from a distance as he lives with his mother who doesn't assist.
Can we return the item? It cost $800 plus $100 monthly for monitoring. He's had it for 2 months and used it maybe 5 times.
Thanks for any advice.

The $100 for monitoring is rediculous.

LSAT wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 28, 2025 3:36 pm

Frustrated Dad wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 28, 2025 12:49 pm

Hello,
I'm seeking advice on my 15-year-old son's sleep apnea machine. He refuses to use it, saying it keeps him awake. With Type 1 Diabetes and Graves' disease, he's overwhelmed by the additional monitoring tasks. Unfortunately, I can only monitor from a distance as he lives with his mother who doesn't assist.
Can we return the item? It cost $800 plus $100 monthly for monitoring. He's had it for 2 months and used it maybe 5 times.
Thanks for any advice.

The $100 for monitoring is rediculous.

Especially when there's nothing to monitor.

There's no way that you're going to get a teen to use a CPAP machine if he doesn't want to use it, no way.

Someone is going to have to explain the benefits of using the machine compared to not using it. If that can't get through to him, nothing will.

As for you paying $800 for the machine? Did your insurance not pay for any of this?

$100 a month monitoring fee? You ARE being ripped off! Completely ripped off. Are you at least getting a kiss or two after such a royal screwing?

FYI, someone else on this forum mentioned having to pay a monitoring fee and most here thought it was a rip off, that fee was $10/month and you're paying $100?! Wow!

Wow. That is tough. I'd suggest that you try and work with him to figure out what can be done to make it easier. Yes, get him to suggest what he thinks you should do. 15? That will be tough. I'm thinking when I first had my CPAP machine........it was NOT fun, and I was.........maybe 40! As a teen........whoa baby!

Tell him that if he sleeps well, his body will begin to repair itself.........and, who knows..........those other issues may improve.

One option to try, is to set the machine pressure.........way down......... See if he can handle that. Talk to the doctor..... If he can, then you can have him slowly increase the pressure. Another option is to try a BIPAP machine, but that is mo money, too.. it does make it easier to exhale for it reduces the pressure as you exhale.

Good luck.

He says it keeps him awake? I'd talk to him and try to find out specifics. Is the mask uncomfortable? Doesn't fit right, leaks? Is it the noise of the machine? Or just doesn't like something on the face? Maybe help him come up with ideas to tweak things to fix whatever the issue is. You're his dad and his mother who he lives with is no help? Maybe approach him man to man, not parent who's trying to control him, but rather like solving a problem together. Help him take ownership of the matter, which only he can do anyway at this age.

He has to anyway with his other health issues and it's hard for kids to accept that. I can see him overwhelmed, like this is one more unfair thing he must deal with at too young an age, unlike his friends who can be carefree of medical things.

GrandmaA wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 01, 2025 2:24 pm

He has to anyway with his other health issues and it's hard for kids to accept that. I can see him overwhelmed, like this is one more unfair thing he must deal with at too young an age, unlike his friends who can be carefree of medical things.

You are absolutely right on this. I think the best you can do is remind him that when he's ready to take care of his health, CPAP will still be available. But right now may not be the time to expect him to take responsibility for it. And HE is the only one who can.