Sleep Medicine
Specialty Description
Sleep medicine specialists treat sleep-/wake-related disorders using devices, surgical interventions, medications and behavioral therapies.
Specialty Overview
What is a sleep medicine specialist?
Sleep medicine is a multidisciplinary subspecialty of family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, neurology and otolaryngology. It is a discipline of medical practice in which sleep disorders are assessed, monitored, treated and prevented by using a combination of techniques (clinical evaluation, physiologic testing, imaging and intervention) and medication.
Specialists in sleep medicine are expected to:
Participate in an interdisciplinary care of patients of all ages that incorporates aspects of psychiatry, neurology, internal medicine, epidemiology, surgery, pediatrics and basic science
Acquire detailed knowledge of the sleep and respiratory control centers, physiology, and neurobiology underlying sleep and wakefulness
Diagnose and manage sleep disorder patients in outpatient and inpatient settings
This subspecialty includes the clinical assessment, polysomnographic evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders, including insomnias, disorders of excessive sleepiness (e.g., narcolepsy), sleep-related breathing disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnea), parasomnias, circadian rhythm disorders, sleep-related movement disorders and other conditions pertaining to the sleep-wake cycle.
What does a sleep medicine specialist do?
Specialists in sleep medicine possess a detailed knowledge of sleep-wake physiology, including neural systems that control sleep and wake processes and their respective neurotransmitters; sleep- and circadian rhythm–related changes in physiology (autonomic nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, endocrine, immune, etc.); medications and their effects on sleep and wakefulness; and the bidirectional relationship between sleep and medical, neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
Sleep medicine specialists treat sleep-/wake-related disorders using devices, surgical interventions, medications and behavioral therapies. They utilize diagnostic tools in their treatment such as validated sleep questionnaires, actigraphy, polysomnography and portable sleep apnea monitors in outpatient and inpatient settings.
Career opportunities in sleep medicine include academic, private practice and/or research positions.
Data reflects averages reported for the 2024 academic year.
Sleep Medicine Training
Graduate year 1 positions are not available immediately upon medical school completion.
Eligibility & Application Criteria
Types of Graduates
Resident Statistics
Average Number of Residents/Fellows
2.3
Resident Gender
Faculty Statistics
Faculty Distribution
Graduate Career Plans
In 2024, 202 residents or fellows completed training in Sleep Medicine. Program directors knew of the plans of 170 (84.2%). Please interpret the following accordingly.
Post Graduate Landing Spots in 2024
Combined Training Programs
Sleep Medicine Subspecialty/Fellowship Training
Education and fellowship training in sleep medicine are overseen by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Certification examinations are administered by American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Board of Pediatrics and American Board of Otolaryngology.
Data reflects averages reported for the 2024 academic year.
Data reflects averages reported for the 2024 academic year.