Sleep apnea impacts millions of Americans, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity and diabetes. This common problem occurs when breathing temporarily pauses during sleep, each pause lasting a few seconds to several minutes. While physicians may recommend lifestyle changes or surgery to combat sleep apnea, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are the most commonly prescribed therapy. These machines blow air into the throat through a face mask. There are many machines on the market, but according to CPAP.com the three best selling machines are the Zzz-PAP, Everest 3 and the IntelliPAP Standard.
Zzz-PAP
The Zzz-Pap, made by ProBasics, weighs 1.7 pounds (5.3 lbs with the integrated heated humidifier), making it the lightest weight CPAP machine available today. Its portable design makes it ideal for travel. It features manual altitude adjustment, a universal power supply and a two year warranty. The manufacturers claim it's one of the quietest machines on the market.
Everest 3
Manufactured by AEIOMed, the Everest 3 CPAP machine garners just over twenty percent of all CPAP machine sales. The Everest 3 weighs 1.8 lbs and operates at a quiet 22 Decibels without the humidifier (28 Decibels with the humidifier). It comes standard with optional humidification, automatic altitude adjustment and universal power supply. Additionally, users have the option of record 13 months of daily compliance data in the embedded memory.
IntelliPAP Standard
The heaviest of the top three brands of CPAP machines, the IntelliPap Standard weighs in at 2.8 lbs or 4.45 lbs with the humidifier. Designed for travel or home use, the machine features a three year warranty, automatic altitude adjustment and universal power supply. It operates at 26 Decibels. The IntelliPap, manufactured by DeVilbiss, includes SmartCode compliance tracking. SmartCode tracks sleep performance and produces sleep therapy reports for both the user and the prescribing physician.
