By all accounts, 2020 was a tough year. The field of sleep medicine experienced numerous challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lost beloved colleagues such as AASM Founding President William C. Dement, MD; AASM Past President Mark Mahowald, MD; and renowned RLS scientist Richard P. Allen, PhD. However, there were positive developments in 2020, including the widespread adoption of telemedicine, FDA approval of new treatments for sleep disorders, and the success of Virtual SLEEP 2020 — the first livestreamed (and now on-demand) meeting in the history of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

Here is an informal list of the top 10 trends that had a significant impact on the field of sleep medicine in 2020. You can explore each topic for an in-depth look at key headlines from the past year.

The COVID-19 pandemic, brought on by widespread transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was clearly the predominant trend in 2020. The field of sleep medicine continues to feel its impact as the year comes to an end, and its impression will be deep and lasting. The AASM developed a variety of COVID-19 resources throughout the year to equip members with important information about the pandemic:

Clinical Guidance

Coding & Reimbursement

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

Other Resources

While telemedicine has been used in the sleep field for years, the COVID-19 pandemic was the event that forced payers to recognize its value, sparking its widespread adoption in a new era of social distancing.  The AASM, the American Medical Association, and other organizations developed resources to help clinicians adjust to this method of health care delivery:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration was busy during 2020. In addition to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA issued numerous authorizations (and one cautionary warning) related to the field of sleep medicine. Multiple treatments for sleep disorders received FDA approval, authorization, or clearance, giving clinicians and patients new options to improve nighttime sleep and daytime alertness:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made interim changes to increase flexibility in the provision of health care during the public health emergency. As the year came to an end, and the 2021 implementation of evaluation and management (E/M) coding changes approached, CMS published the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, which includes decreased payments for most procedures due to budget neutrality requirements:

In 2020 the AASM introduced a new strategic plan and launched important initiatives and resources to support members and advance the sleep field. Highlights from the year include:

In 2020 the AASM published a new clinical practice guideline for the treatment of insomnia, a summit report, and several position statements on hot topics:

In 2020 we saw the continued development of technological advancements in sleep medicine. Innovations in artificial intelligence, wearable devices, and biosensors abounded. These are just some of the devices and innovations that caught our attention in 2020:

In 2020 some of the world’s biggest and most influential tech companies — Amazon, Apple, Fitbit, and Google — increased their investments in the health and medicine space, with each company taking significant steps to focus on sleep health:

Current events sparked national outrage and ongoing discussions about health disparities and systemic racism in 2020. AASM leaders, AASM members, the National Institutes of Health, and other medical organizations identified the need to address these problems in health care and within the sleep field:

In 2020 some of the largest pharmacies in the U.S. — CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart — continued to build the infrastructure needed to expand their role in health care delivery and potentially provide care for patients with sleep disorders:

By Thomas Heffron, AASM senior director