System and method for diagnosis and treatment of a breathing pattern of a patient

A positive airway pressure system for delivery of a flow of breathable gas at a positive treatment pressure with respect to ambient air pressure delivered to an entrance of a patient's airways in order to assist in treating a sleeping disorder in a patient, the positive airway pressure system comprising:

• a flow generator which supplies a positive treatment pressure flow of breathable gases to be supplied to a patient;
• a flow sensor located in a flow path of the positive treatment pressure flow of breathable gases, the flow sensor measuring data corresponding to the flow of breathable gases directed to the patient and indicative of the patient's breathing patterns;
• and
• a processing arrangement which receives the measured data corresponding to the flow of breathable gases from the flow sensor and analyzes the data to determine the patient's breathing patterns, the processing arrangement also determines whether to alter the pressure supplied by the flow generator to the airway of the patient based, at least in part, on the determined breathing patterns of the patient, wherein the processing arrangement automatically delays the onset of a pressure increase to the patient when the processing arrangement determines that the patient is in an awake state, wherein the delay lasts at least until the processing arrangement determines that the patient is in an asleep state.