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What you can set yourself, and where
Many patients look for EPR or automatic start in their device menu, cannot find it, and conclude it is locked. The reality is simpler: those settings do exist, but they usually live in the myAir app rather than on the machine's screen.
Why some settings are missing from the device screen
You read somewhere that EPR or automatic start could be turned on, you go looking through the menus, and there is nothing. It is not a fault, and you have not done anything wrong.
ResMed devices separate two families of settings. Comfort settings, which you control freely, such as the ramp or humidity. And settings that affect how pressure is delivered, which stay under your provider's control. The latter only appear in your menu if the provider enabled them first.
The three settings involved
EPR, expiratory pressure relief
EPR is a ResMed feature. It stands for Expiratory Pressure Relief. When the feature is active, the device lowers pressure at the moment you breathe out, then raises it again as you breathe in.
This is the setting to ask for if you feel you have to fight to exhale, especially early in therapy. A great many people who give up on CPAP in the first weeks do so for this reason.
SmartStart, automatic start
With SmartStart active, therapy begins on its own as soon as you breathe into the mask. You press no button, you put the mask on and you lie down.
SmartStop, automatic stop
The counterpart. A few seconds after you remove the mask, the device stops by itself. Handy when you get up during the night.
Checking and toggling EPR on a ResMed AirSense 11
If your provider enabled the feature, it appears in MY OPTIONS as a switch, and you can toggle it yourself.
- From the Home screen, tap MY OPTIONS.
- Look for the Pressure Relief line under Comfort.
- Tap the switch to turn it on or off.
If the Pressure Relief line is absent from your screen, the feature was not enabled for your device. No setting on your side will make it appear.
Setting things from the myAir app
On AirSense 11 devices, the myAir user guide documents a list of settings you control from your phone. The path is always the same: Equipment tab, then Therapy control, then My options.
| Setting | Possible values |
|---|---|
| Pressure Relief (EPR) | On or off |
| EPR Level | 1 to 3, in 1 cmH2O increments |
| SmartStart | On or off |
| SmartStop | On or off |
| Ramp Time | Off, 5 to 45 minutes, or Auto |
| Start Pressure | Minimum 4 cmH2O, when ramp is on |
| AutoSet Response | Standard or Soft |
| Climate Control | Auto or Manual |
| Humidity Level | Off, or 1 to 8 |
| Tube Temperature | Adjustable |
You can even start and stop therapy from the app. All of this needs an active Bluetooth connection between your phone and the device. See our page on myAir for the setup.
How to have one of these settings enabled
The process is simple, and providers deal with this request all the time.
- Pin down what bothers you: difficulty exhaling, forgetting to press the button, the device running on after you take the mask off
- Contact the provider who looks after your device, or your sleep centre
- Name the function: EPR, SmartStart or SmartStop. The exact vocabulary saves time
- The change can often be applied remotely, with no appointment and no trip
What you can set yourself
To save you hunting, here is how it actually breaks down on the two devices.
| Setting | Patient accessible |
|---|---|
| Ramp time | Yes, device and myAir |
| Humidity level | Yes, device and myAir |
| Mask fit test | Yes, on the device |
| Airplane mode | Yes, on the device |
| Mask type | AirSense 10 only |
| EPR and its level | Yes, from myAir |
| SmartStart and SmartStop | Yes, from myAir |
| Ramp start pressure | Yes, from myAir |
| Prescribed pressure | No, never |
Read more
- Setting your CPAP ramp
- Is your CPAP pressure properly set?
- CPAP side effects and how to fix them
- Starting CPAP: the first days
All our settings tutorials
Each tutorial gives the procedure for both the AirSense 11 and the AirSense 10.
- Setting the ramp
- Setting humidification and tube temperature
- 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 locked settings
Because the feature was not enabled for your device. EPR only shows in the patient menu once your provider has unlocked it upstream. Nothing you do on the device will make it appear, it takes a request.
It lowers pressure during exhalation, the phase where pressure matters less for holding your airway open. That is precisely why the manufacturer offers it as a comfort aid. Your prescriber remains the only judge of whether it suits your case.
No, it is a convenience. It stops you forgetting to start therapy, which happens often when you are tired. Note that it needs a proper breath in to trigger: breathing too lightly does not always do it.
Combinations exist, but we will not publish them and we strongly advise against it. You risk changing your prescribed pressure without realising, and treating yourself badly for months. There is no upside, only risk.
Yes, if your device is connected. The AirSense 10 and 11 have cellular communication that lets a provider apply new settings without you travelling anywhere. Leave the device plugged in and out of airplane mode so the update can reach it.
You are still followed by whoever made the diagnosis, usually a sleep centre or a respiratory physician. That is who to approach for any change to a therapy parameter. If in doubt, write to us and we will point you in the right direction.