Specialty Designation
Fellowship
Specialty Code
520
Type
Specialty
Specialty Description

Sleep medicine specialists treat sleep-/wake-related disorders using devices, surgical interventions, medications and behavioral therapies.

Completing training
191
With known plans
168
Pursuing more training
19
Practicing in the US
68
Group practice
26
In same specialty
68
In same state as program
22
In NHSC or similar underserved area
0
Academician
80
Full-time
78
Military
0
Non-clinical research
0
Non-medical career/left country
1
Unemployed
0
Academic year
2025
Number of accredited programs
100
Length of accredited training
1
Minimum number of prior years required
3
Offers graduate year 1 positions, available immediately upon medical school completion
No
Average number of PY1 interviews
22.30
Percent of programs requiring Step 1 score for interview
0.00
Percent of programs requiring Level 1 score (for DOs) for interview
0.00
Total number of active residents/fellows
202.00
Average number of residents/fellows
2.40
Average percent female
52.40
Average percent international medical graduates
37.10
Average percent DOs
21.20
Average number of full-time physician faculty
10.10
Average number of part-time physician faculty
0.80
Average percent female full-time physician faculty
48.30
Average ratio of full-time physician faculty to resident/fellow
4.30
Average hours on duty per week
46.00
Average maximum consecutive hours on duty
14.00
Average days off duty per week
1.80
Average percent of training in hospital outpatient clinics
75.00
Average percent of training in non-hospital ambulatory care community settings
24.00
Average number of days of vacation
19.00
Average resident/fellow compensation
79679.77
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.

Related Training

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.

Association

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American College of Chest Physicians
chestnet.org
2595 Patriot Blvd
Glenview, IL 60026
(224) 521-9800 or (800) 343-2227 (toll-free)
Contact form

 

Image removed.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
aasm.org
2510 N Frontage Road
Darien, IL 60561
(630) 737-9700
Fax: (630) 737-9790
Contact form

 

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American Thoracic Society 
thoracic.org
Church Street Station
PO Box 3421
New York, NY 10008-3421
(212) 315-8600
Email: [email protected]

Grad Year
2025
Average first year non physician
1.00
Average full-time non-physician
0.89
Average part-time non-physician
0.02
Average pgy positions
3.00