# CPAP machine

23 Hacker News commenters recommended CPAP machine and 11 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for sleep apnea, saying it restored sleep, energy and focus; the most common caveat is that it is a burden to need a machine to sleep.

## Why people recommend it

- Life-changing improvement in sleep (5 comments): "The CPAP was life changing, turns out she was tired and the headaches basically went away forever." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50018485)) "Started using a CPAP and it feels like I've been given a second lease on life." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49037216)) "it completely and utterly changed my life too" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48243504))
- Better sleep and daytime energy (3 comments): "A proper nights sleep is massive! I'd put 99% down to this.." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48395676)) "no daytime sleepiness, more energy, no food cravings" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48243318)) "I love it. My sleep has never been better." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48243607))
- Fewer apnea events and snoring (4 comments): "Treatment with CPAP is highly effective in eliminating these symptoms" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48242844)) "I don't snore anymore and I have maybe 1 event a night." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48243843)) "CPAP reduces my AHI from 55-60 down to less than 0.5" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48244831))
- Reliably effective for many users (2 comments): "Treatment with CPAP is highly effective in eliminating these symptoms" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48242844)) "A CPAP is really effective" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48243312))

## What people warn about

- Burdensome and invasive to wear (3 comments): "it is still a burden to need a machine to sleep" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48244755)) "I didnt felt any different and hated everything about sleeping with the cpap" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48244226)) "the CPAP was too damn invasive" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48246823))
- Did not help some users (2 comments): "it helped but even after dialing in my personally optimal pressure settings" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48243090)) "I've tried a CPAP machine for 6 weeks and felt no different and gave up." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48243443))
- Doctors push it; BiPAP may suit (3 comments): "sleep doctors are essentially CPAP salespeople and they will just keep pushing that" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48248120)) "Many people on CPAP would benefit greatly from being on BiPAP instead" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48267170)) "the research literature show cpap is potentially iatrogenic, inducing or increasing (central) sleep apnea in some patients" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48248345))
- Philips foam cancer risk concern (2 comments): "the Philips CPAP machine had toxic foam which would break down and increase the risk of cancer" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46930054)) "resmed uses foam in their units too" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46930653))

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=CPAP+machine+with+humidifier+water+tank&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "CPAP machine", https://hackerapproved.com/p/cpap-machine/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).