A system for treating apnea in a subject, comprising: a) an electrode configured for positioning in contact with the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (iSLN) of the subject and for obtaining an electroneurogram signal; and b) a control unit comprising: i. a signal conditioning module for conditioning the electroneurogram signal from the electrode; ii. an apnea monitoring and detection module operatively coupled to the signal conditioning module and configured to compute an index of respiratory activity from the conditioned electroneurogram signal and configured to detect an occurrence of an apneic event when the index of respiratory activity is at or above a predetermined level; iii. a respiratory phase module configured to determine respiratory phase from the index of respiratory activity and configured to generate a respiratory phase signal indicative of the respiratory phase in the subject over time, wherein the respiratory phase includes an inspiratory phase, an expiratory phase and/or a zero flow phase; and iv. a therapy control module operatively coupled to the apnea monitoring and detection module and to the respiratory phase module and configured to control delivery of a burst swallow stimulus to the subject to coincide with the expiratory phase or zero flow phase so that the burst stimulus is delivered between inspiratory phases based on the respiratory phase signal when the index of respiratory activity is indicative of the occurrence of the apneic event. a) an electrode configured for positioning in contact with the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (iSLN) of the subject and for obtaining an electroneurogram signal; and b) a control unit comprising: i. a signal conditioning module for conditioning the electroneurogram signal from the electrode; ii. an apnea monitoring and detection module operatively coupled to the signal conditioning module and configured to compute an index of respiratory activity from the conditioned electroneurogram signal and configured to detect an occurrence of an apneic event when the index of respiratory activity is at or above a predetermined level; iii. a respiratory phase module configured to determine respiratory phase from the index of respiratory activity and configured to generate a respiratory phase signal indicative of the respiratory phase in the subject over time, wherein the respiratory phase includes an inspiratory phase, an expiratory phase and/or a zero flow phase; and iv. a therapy control module operatively coupled to the apnea monitoring and detection module and to the respiratory phase module and configured to control delivery of a burst swallow stimulus to the subject to coincide with the expiratory phase or zero flow phase so that the burst stimulus is delivered between inspiratory phases based on the respiratory phase signal when the index of respiratory activity is indicative of the occurrence of the apneic event. i. a signal conditioning module for conditioning the electroneurogram signal from the electrode; ii. an apnea monitoring and detection module operatively coupled to the signal conditioning module and configured to compute an index of respiratory activity from the conditioned electroneurogram signal and configured to detect an occurrence of an apneic event when the index of respiratory activity is at or above a predetermined level; iii. a respiratory phase module configured to determine respiratory phase from the index of respiratory activity and configured to generate a respiratory phase signal indicative of the respiratory phase in the subject over time, wherein the respiratory phase includes an inspiratory phase, an expiratory phase and/or a zero flow phase; and iv. a therapy control module operatively coupled to the apnea monitoring and detection module and to the respiratory phase module and configured to control delivery of a burst swallow stimulus to the subject to coincide with the expiratory phase or zero flow phase so that the burst stimulus is delivered between inspiratory phases based on the respiratory phase signal when the index of respiratory activity is indicative of the occurrence of the apneic event.