The American Academy of Sleep Medicine marks a new milestone as 208 physicians, the highest number ever, successfully matched with a sleep medicine fellowship training program on Dec. 3 for the 2026 appointment year. This year’s Match Day demonstrated steady momentum in the field, with 104 sleep medicine training programs participating across the U.S.
After completing a one-year fellowship, these physicians will be eligible to sit for the annual sleep medicine board certification exam. Sleep fellows bring diverse expertise, having already completed residency training in neurology, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, otolaryngology, anesthesiology or family medicine.
The annual sleep medicine match is conducted by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Specialties Matching Service (SMS), which uses a sophisticated algorithm to pair applicants with programs based on their respective rank order lists.
Sleep medicine continues to grow as a multidisciplinary specialty within the Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, which includes over 30 subspecialties. Applicants benefit from the flexibility to rank programs across participating specialties, further enhancing opportunities for tailored career pathways.
Sleep medicine match statistics
According to the 2025 match results for the 2026 appointment year, 222 certified positions were available from 104 certified programs, reflecting growth from 218 positions and 102 programs last year. Of the 236 certified applicants with rank who selected sleep medicine as their preferred specialty, 197 successfully matched with a sleep medicine program, one matched to a different specialty and 38 did not match.
This year, 90% of programs and 94% of positions were filled. Applicants who did not match can access a list of unfilled programs through the NRMP system to explore remaining opportunities.
| Appointment Year | Certified Programs | Certified Positions | Certified Applicants with Rank (Preferring Sleep Medicine) |
Positions Filled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104 | 222 | 236 | 208 |
| 2025 | 102 | 218 | 227 | 207 |
| 2024 | 102 | 213 | 200 | 188 |
| 2023 | 99 | 201 | 190 | 178 |
| 2022 | 95 | 193 | 198 | 179 |
| 2021 | 86 | 179 | 187 | 165 |
| 2020 | 84 | 180 | 172 | 148 |
| 2019 | 86 | 180 | 160 | 147 |
| 2018 | 82 | 170 | 172 | 150 |
Supporting sleep medicine education
The Choose Sleep website offers valuable educational resources, including webinars and tools to inspire future sleep medicine professionals. These efforts are bolstered by the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Directors Council (SMFDC) Steering Committee, which develops faculty workshops, supports fellowship programs in meeting ACGME requirements, and strategizes ways to strengthen the pipeline of sleep medicine applicants. Together, these initiatives ensure comprehensive support for both trainees and program directors.
