This document discusses, among other things, a system and method for preventing stimulus delivery to a patient for a predetermined interval after commencing sleep therapy to ensure that the patient is asleep. An indication of abnormal respiration activity can be received from an activity detector of a closed loop neuromodulator at a therapy delay gate. The indication of abnormal respiration activity can be provided to a sleep disorder gate after a predetermined delay interval following commencement of the sleep therapy. A sleep disorder event can be detected if the indication of abnormal respiration activity exceeds a predetermined sleep disorder interval, and a stimulus start signal can be provided to the closed loop neuromodulator in response to the detected sleep disorder event.