A ventilation apparatus for providing breathing therapy, comprising: a breathing gas delivery system (10,12) for delivering breathing gas to a user of the apparatus, with a controllable pressure and flow; a pressure sensor for monitoring a breathing pressure; a flow sensor for monitoring a breathing flow; and a processor adapted to: process the monitored breathing pressure and the monitored breathing flow to derive a respiration parameter which is indicative of a relaxation state of the user; estimate a state of relaxation of the user during delivery of breathing therapy based on the respiration parameter; configure settings of the ventilation apparatus in dependence on the estimated state of relaxation for assisting the user in habituating to the breathing therapy; wherein the processor is adapted to configure said settings of the ventilation apparatus to control at least an expiratory pressure level; wherein the processor is adapted to configure the ventilation apparatus settings such as to vary the settings incrementally in steps from a sub-therapeutic level to a therapeutic level, wherein the processor is adapted to so vary the settings incrementally to increase the pressure level from a sub-therapeutic to therapeutic level only while the user remains above a defined relaxation state threshold th min; wherein, responsive to the relaxation state falling below the relaxation state threshold th min, the processor is adapted to lower the ventilation pressure in order to allow the user to return to a more relaxed state. a breathing gas delivery system (10,12) for delivering breathing gas to a user of the apparatus, with a controllable pressure and flow; a pressure sensor for monitoring a breathing pressure; a flow sensor for monitoring a breathing flow; and a processor adapted to: process the monitored breathing pressure and the monitored breathing flow to derive a respiration parameter which is indicative of a relaxation state of the user; estimate a state of relaxation of the user during delivery of breathing therapy based on the respiration parameter; configure settings of the ventilation apparatus in dependence on the estimated state of relaxation for assisting the user in habituating to the breathing therapy; process the monitored breathing pressure and the monitored breathing flow to derive a respiration parameter which is indicative of a relaxation state of the user; estimate a state of relaxation of the user during delivery of breathing therapy based on the respiration parameter; configure settings of the ventilation apparatus in dependence on the estimated state of relaxation for assisting the user in habituating to the breathing therapy; wherein the processor is adapted to configure said settings of the ventilation apparatus to control at least an expiratory pressure level; wherein the processor is adapted to configure the ventilation apparatus settings such as to vary the settings incrementally in steps from a sub-therapeutic level to a therapeutic level, wherein the processor is adapted to so vary the settings incrementally to increase the pressure level from a sub-therapeutic to therapeutic level only while the user remains above a defined relaxation state threshold th min; wherein, responsive to the relaxation state falling below the relaxation state threshold th min, the processor is adapted to lower the ventilation pressure in order to allow the user to return to a more relaxed state.