American Academy of Sleep Medicine

I recommend joining AASM (if you're not already a member) because of the great educational opportunities it offers. Some activities -- like the national educational and board review courses -- are open to all (higher fees for non-members), whereas others require membership (mainly access to the "members only" section of the AASM web site). AASM's board review offerings are listed together in one area called Board Review Resources. AASM also has an Online Learning Center that contains links to the Practice Exams and "Scoring Reviews." Scoring Reviews consist of 200 Epochs where you can practice scoring sleep staging, arousals, limb movements and respiratory events.

All the AASM recommendations are listed below, but only specific items with internet links are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Study all the linked items in this category. Other, non-linked items that I mention in this section will be listed again (with internet links) in a lower category of recommendation.

a. NATIONAL REVIEW COURSES. You can take AASM's course without being a member, at a slightly higher registration fee. See Category 4, Review Courses, below.

b. PRINT and e-PUBLICATIONS. These are found at AASM's Resource Library. Two of the items are CRUCIAL FOR THOROUGH REVIEW AND MASTERY: ICSD-3 and AASM Scoring Manual.

The International Classification of Sleep Disorders, 3nd Edition; American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Darien, IL, 2014. ICSD-3 is the 'bible' of sleep medicine because it includes the official classification of sleep disorders, along with their diagnostic criteria, clinical course, pathology and pathophysiology. However, it is bereft of case examples and figures. That is why you also need to review the new Case Book of Sleep Medicine, which incorporates criteria ICSD-3. It features over 100 adult and pediatric sleep cases.

The AASM Manual for the Scoring of Sleep and Associated Events was originally published in 2007, and updated in 2012 and again in 2014, in both digital and print format as Version 2.1. You can even download an app for your smart phone or tablet. You should know everything in the AASM Manual about how to score a PSG. The Manual remains brief in its descriptions, some would say too brief. Recognizing this, AASM has published a companion Technologist's Handbook for Understanding and Implementing the Scoring Manual, that goes into more detail. I highly recommend the Handbook along with the Scoring Manual. Here is what AASM states about the Technologist's Handbook.

"Written in straightforward and accessible language, the Technologist’s Handbook provides answers to your questions about the updated Manual, including step-by-step instructions for scoring stages and events. The Handbook includes many illustrations of the waveforms and patterns used in sleep scoring as well as a glossary of the terms. It serves as a comprehensive introduction to sleep scoring, a useful reference when questions arise, and a valuable resource for studying for the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists’™ examination."

In fact, much of the information in the Handbook should be in the Manual. So, though the Technologist's Handbook is officially geared toward sleep technologists, and not sleep physicians, I highly recommend it as a companion to the Scoring Manual. It follows the order of rules for the Scoring Manual, with the same sections and chapter headings.

Also recommended on the AASM Resource Library web site are AASM Standards and Guidelines for Practice of Sleep Medicine, and Essential Readings in Sleep Medicine. These are readings you should review, but not Category 1 since they are more for review than mastery. I put them in Category 3.

In summary, you should know everything in ICSD-3 and the AASM Scoring Manual. You would be foolish to go into the exam without knowledge of what's in these books. To understand these two resources more fully, you should also have the 2008 Case Book and the Technologist's Handbook.

d. Various CDs, including webinars. See more about ASSM's webinars in Category 2.

American College of Chest Physicians

Like AASM, ACCP also publishes excellent materials for sleep board review. I don't recommend joining ACCP unless you are a chest-oriented physician, but do take advantage of their board-review offerings (higher fees for non-members). There are several ACCP opportunities for sleep board review:

a. NATIONAL REVIEW COURSES. Many of the people who teach the AASM courses also lecture for ACCP. See Category 4, Review Courses, below.

b. PRINT PUBLICATIONS. There are several, including the syllabus from their annual review course.  However, the only HIGHLY RECOMMENDED print item is ACCP SEEK - Sleep, 3rd Edition, 2012 . SEEK provides case-based questions and answers, many with figures (PSG, actigraphy, sleep log). "ACCP SEEK - Sleep" is just the type of study guide needed for the board exam. An added plus:  CME for this book is available.

c. ACCP Web Site. There is some useful information on sleep for members; see Category 2.

Kryger's Sleep Medicine Review, 2nd Edition

Meir H. Kryger, MD, Russell Rosenberg, PhD, Douglas Kirsh, MD, and Lawrence Martin, MD. Elsevier, 2015. (Full Disclosure: I am one of the authors)

This book belongs in Category 1 beause: a) it is just published in 2015, in time for extensive review before the October Sleep Boards; b) it tracks the format of the board exam; c) it is Q&A, so you can readily determine what you most need to study.

Kryger's Kryger's Sleep Medicine Review offers ability to obtain CME credits from the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine, and is also available as a searchable text on-line, via Expert Consult.

Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine, 5th ed. (printed text + e-edition), published Nov 1, 2010. MH Kryger, T Roth and WC Dement, editors. Elsevier Saunders. This is the standard textbook of sleep medicine. I strongly recommend buying the version that comes with the e-edition, for continual updates plus access to videos and other web-based features not in the printed book. Another feature of the e-edition are Self Assessment Questions, in a timed format. While these questions are not specifically designed for board review (as is Kryger's Sleep Medicine Review, in Category 1 above), they should not be passed up. The e-edition can be previewed at Expert Consult. PPSM should be in every sleep physician's library. As for board review, when you come across topics in the Category 1 & 2 materials (above) about which you need more info, refer to PPSM. (Note: If you have any interest in the history of sleep medicine -- admittedly not a board review topic -- you will enjoy Dr. Kryger's video interviews of the major figures in Sleep: Nathaniel Kleitman, William Dement, Colin Sullivan, et al.)

AASM Standards and Guidelines for the Practice of Sleep Medicine are reprints from Sleep. I would especially peruse later papers (2010-2014) to get a good feel for accepted practice standards.

Essential Readings in Sleep Medicine is available for purchase on AASM's web site. This item and Standards and Guidelines is all you should need from sleep medicine journals.

Sleep Review Courses are listed separately because they are relatively expensive and time consuming, and don't really fit any of the other categories. You can pass the exam without ever attending one, but they are very popular and, time permitting, definitely recommended (at least one). If nothing else, they focus your attention on what's important to review on your own. There are many more courses than you'll have time for, and only a few are listed here.  Note also that many of these live courses are now available on DVD; while still expensive, DVDs eliminate travel and hotel costs, and can be reviewed at your leisure. If you have time for only one comprehensive course, choose either the ACCP or AASM board review course.

ACCP Board Review. The previous ACCP courses are available on DVD; see the ACCP catalogue.

AASM Board Review Course. There are several courses offered each fall. If you register for the exam you will be receiving brochures.

School of Sleep Medicine, Stanford University. This is probably the oldest of the comprehensive review courses.  People who have attended state it is very good. The course is also available on DVD.

Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine. Offers multiple courses, some specifically designed for sleep board review.

Chest (ACCP), Sleep (ASSM) and AJRCCM (ATS) are all leading medical journals with emphasis on original research. They also publish reviews of sleep topics that can be useful for board review (including the AASM Practice Parameters mentioned in Category 3). However, journals per se are a low-order priority for studying for the sleep boards. Most journal articles relevant for board review (such as the AASM Practice Parameters) are available on line.  If you do want to peruse current or back issues of journals, the two I recommend are Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine and Sleep Medicine Clinics. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine is included with membership in AASM. One article in JCSM you should find especially interesting is Development and Results of the First ABMS Subspecialty Certification Examination in Sleep Medicine (J Clin Sleep Med 2008;4(5):505-508). It explains how the exam was created, how it's scored, and gives the pass rates per type of examinee (fellowship trained vs. practice experience vs. previous ABMS certification).