What Is EPR? Customizable CPAP Comfort Settings
Using a CPAP for your sleep apnea should make sleeping easier and more comfortable. However, many CPAP users have trouble getting a restful sleep even with their sleep therapy.
Common problems include:
- Feeling like you’re suffocating
- Your mouth drying out
- Your mask losing its seal
For years, customizing your CPAP to suit your specific needs seemed impossible—but not anymore. With the new EPR feature, sleeping through the night with no interruptions is a piece of cake.
Key takeaways
- EPR (Expiratory Pressure Relief) reduces your CPAP’s pressure when you exhale, making it easier and more natural to breathe.
- It delivers three benefits: less pressure on exhale, less noise, and better sleep overall.
- Three settings let you drop the pressure by one, two or three points as you breathe out.
- The ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet pairs EPR with auto-titration, AutoRamp, SmartStart and humidification for comfortable, easy therapy.
What this article covers
What is EPR?
EPR, or “Expiratory Pressure Relief,” is an advanced comfort option that will reduce the pressure from your CPAP when you exhale, making it easier to breathe and helping your therapy feel as natural as possible. Feeling comfortable while sleeping with your CPAP is crucial for getting the most out of your sleep therapy and ensuring you have the quality sleep you deserve. With this feature, each breath will be more restful than the last (as it should be).
What are the benefits of EPR?
- Less pressure: Nobody likes having air blown into their mouth when they’re trying to breathe out. Having the pressure reduced upon exhaling literally makes it easier to breathe.
- Less noise: Have you ever woken up because your CPAP is too noisy? With EPR, you won’t wake up to the sound of air leaking from your mask.
- Better sleep: If you’re not being woken up by extra pressure and noise, you’re going to get better sleep—it’s as simple as that!
How does EPR work?
The three settings allow CPAP users to reduce the pressure by one, two, or three pressure points when exhaling. For example, if you choose an EPR of three, and your pressure setting upon inhaling is ten, the machine will automatically reduce the pressure to seven when you’re exhaling.
EPR of 3 + an inhale pressure of 10 = the machine drops to a pressure of 7 when you exhale.
The Best CPAP with EPR: AirSense 10 AutoSet
The AirSense 10 AutoSet is the newest, smartest CPAP by ResMed. In addition to being auto-titrating, the AirSense has a number of other advanced features to increase the comfort and efficiency of your sleep therapy.
How comfortable is sleeping with the AirSense?
The AirSense makes your comfort its top priority. It is whisper quiet, making for a peaceful environment for you and your sleep partner. Its integrated humidifier ensures that you won’t wake up with a dry mouth or water in your mask. But it doesn’t stop there — it goes above and beyond. With AutoRamp and SmartStart, the AirSense will start automatically at a low pressure as soon as you put on your mask. It then ramps up the pressure to the perfect level once you are asleep, helping you drift off more comfortably. It is also perfect if you are sensitive to high pressures. With EPR (expiratory pressure relief), the AirSense reduces air pressure when you exhale to make breathing easy.
How easy is sleeping with the AirSense?
The AirSense does most of the work for you. The AirSense is auto-titrating, meaning it will automatically adjust according to your breathing instead of being set to one fixed pressure setting. That means better therapy with no extra work. Better yet, monitor your sleep therapy with MyAir! You can track all of your sleep data at home, making this CPAP the most convenient and easy-to-use machine on the market.
Learn why the AirSense is the world’s smartest CPAPShop the AirSense 10
Want CPAP therapy that actually feels comfortable?
Our team can help you set up EPR and find the right machine and pressure for you. Book a free assessment.
Book a free assessmentFrequently asked questions
What does EPR stand for?
EPR stands for “Expiratory Pressure Relief.” It’s a comfort option that reduces the pressure from your CPAP when you exhale, making it easier to breathe and helping therapy feel more natural.
What are the benefits of EPR?
Three main benefits: less pressure (no air being blown in as you try to exhale), less noise (you won’t wake to air leaking from your mask), and better sleep overall because you’re not being woken by extra pressure and noise.
How do the EPR settings work?
There are three settings, reducing pressure by one, two or three points as you exhale. For example, with EPR set to 3 and an inhale pressure of 10, the machine automatically drops to a pressure of 7 when you breathe out.
Which CPAP machine offers EPR?
The ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet offers EPR along with auto-titration, AutoRamp, SmartStart, an integrated humidifier and myAir tracking — making it one of the most comfortable, easy-to-use machines available.
Apnée Santé provides this online information for education and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published here is not intended to replace a consultation with a physician regarding your medical care.
