Disclosed is an apparatus for treating a respiratory disorder. The apparatus comprises a pressure device, and a controller, including at least one processor, configured to control the pressure device to: supply, upon initiation of treatment, a flow of pressurized air to the airway of a patient at a treatment pressure according to a pre-sleep profile of pressure versus time, increase, upon detection of sleep onset of the patient, the treatment pressure to a predetermined therapeutic pressure according to a bridging profile of pressure versus time, and supply the flow of pressurized air to the airway of the patient at a therapeutic pressure.