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What is the CPAP ramp?
The ramp is the period during which your device rises gradually from a low start pressure to your prescribed pressure. Instead of receiving full pressure from the very first second, you start gently.
On ResMed devices, the ramp has three modes: off, a fixed time from 5 to 45 minutes in 5-minute steps, or automatic.
What it actually solves
Many patients find the prescribed pressure hard to tolerate while still awake. The constant airflow gets in the way of falling asleep, particularly in the first few weeks. The ramp targets exactly that moment: while you drift off, pressure stays low, then rises to your therapeutic level.
It is a comfort setting, not a medical one. It changes neither your prescribed pressure nor the effectiveness of therapy once that pressure is reached.
Automatic ramp or fixed time?
Automatic mode
In Auto mode, the device detects that you have fallen asleep, then rises to the prescribed pressure on its own. There is no duration to estimate. It is the simplest setting, and the one we recommend by default.
Fixed time
You pick the number of minutes yourself. This helps if you know how long you take to fall asleep. The catch: too generous a setting leaves you on insufficient pressure while you are already sleeping.
Should you use the ramp?
Yes, in these cases
- You are new to CPAP and the pressure bothers you as you fall asleep
- Your prescribed pressure is high
- You take a while to get to sleep
- You stopped therapy because of discomfort and are starting again
No, in these cases
- You fall asleep within minutes, so the ramp brings you nothing
- Your apneas start as soon as you fall asleep, and low pressure lets them through
- You regularly wake up during the pressure rise
Setting the ramp on a ResMed AirSense 11
The AirSense 11 is operated entirely through its touch screen.
- From the Home screen, tap MY OPTIONS.
- Under Comfort, tap Ramp Time.
- Tap the time you want, or Auto.
- Tap OK to save. CANCEL goes back without changing anything.
For everything else about this device, see our complete AirSense 11 guide.
Setting the ramp on a ResMed AirSense 10
The AirSense 10 has no touch screen. Everything goes through the rotary dial: turn it to move around the menus, press it to confirm.
- From the Home screen, turn the dial to My Options, then press the dial.
- Turn the dial to Ramp Time, then press again.
- Turn the dial to select the time, or Auto.
- Press the dial once more to save.
Torn between the two generations? Our AirSense 10 versus AirSense 11 comparison covers the differences.
On other devices
Almost every current CPAP has a ramp, under a similar name. The principle does not change, only the menu path. Check the manual supplied with your device, or write to us through the contact page if you cannot find the setting.
When the ramp is not the answer
Three common complaints get blamed on it by mistake.
You struggle to breathe out
The ramp is not the setting to touch here, expiratory relief is. On ResMed devices this feature is called EPR, or Pressure Relief. It lowers pressure at the moment you exhale. You can switch it on yourself from the myAir app, and choose a level from 1 to 3.
You wake up when the pressure rises
Switch the ramp to automatic first, so the device matches the rise to when you actually fall asleep. If you still wake up, the prescribed pressure is what needs reviewing. Our guide on a properly set CPAP pressure explains how to check.
Your nose or mouth is dry
Again, the ramp has nothing to do with it. The relevant setting is humidification, and possibly the temperature of your heated tubing if you have one.
Read more
- Starting CPAP: the first days
- Is your CPAP pressure properly set?
- CPAP side effects and how to fix them
- Reading and understanding your myAir results
- Complete ResMed AirSense 11 guide
All our settings tutorials
Each tutorial gives the procedure for both the AirSense 11 and the AirSense 10.
- Setting humidification and tube temperature
- EPR and SmartStart: what you set yourself
- Running the mask fit test
- Cleaning and maintaining your device
- Replacing the air filter
- SD card, myAir and therapy data
- Turning on airplane mode
Frequently asked questions about the CPAP ramp
During the rise, yes, because pressure sits below what was prescribed. Once the pressure is reached, therapy is identical. That is why a short or automatic ramp beats a blanket 45-minute setting.
Automatic mode saves you the choice: the device detects when you fall asleep and rises at that point. If you prefer a fixed time, start from how long you genuinely take to fall asleep, usually 15 to 20 minutes, then adjust.
Yes. The ramp is one of the patient-accessible settings in the My Options menu, unlike the prescribed pressure which is locked. You can change it as often as you need, with no tools and no third party involved.
Some settings are hidden depending on the configured therapy mode or the device region. If Ramp Time is missing from My Options, your device is probably running a mode that does not expose it. Contact your provider or write to us.
No, and they are often confused. The ramp acts once, as you fall asleep, rising gradually to the prescribed pressure. EPR acts on every breath, all night, lowering pressure as you exhale. Both can run at the same time.
Yes, every new therapy start triggers the ramp again. If you get up during the night and put the mask back on, you go through another low pressure phase. One more reason not to set too long a time.