ABP Sleep Medicine study plan
ABP Sleep Medicine · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders
Map the AASM scoring criteria for hypopnea, apnea, and RERA from memory, then verify against a reference
Differentiate obstructive, central, and mixed events by drawing waveform examples and labeling each
Explain the clinical consequences of untreated OSA across cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive systems
Compare PAP, oral appliance, positional, and surgical therapies by indication and expected outcome
Your checkpoint
One-page event-classification cheat sheet plus 20 self-written vignette questions on sleep-related breathing disorders, scored with rationale for each
Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders & Sleep Testing, Monitoring, and Diagnostic Procedures
Interpret full PSG reports: stage the sleep architecture, compute AHI and oxygen desaturation index, and state whether the study is diagnostic
Distinguish HSAT from in-lab PSG by indication, limitations, and scoring pitfalls
List technical artifacts that mimic respiratory events and describe how to correct them
Calculate AHI, RDI, and arousal index from a provided epoch table
Your checkpoint
Completed interpretation worksheet for two synthetic PSG reports with AHI/RDI calculations and a written diagnostic impression for each
Insomnia
Contrast the diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia disorder, short-term insomnia, and insomnia comorbid with another disorder
Sequence CBT-I components and justify the order of implementation for a given case
Evaluate pharmacologic options by mechanism, evidence, and dependency risk
Apply sleep restriction and stimulus control rules to a constructed patient scenario
Your checkpoint
Written CBT-I session-by-session treatment plan for one synthetic patient, including sleep diary math and a medication decision rationale
Normal Sleep and Sleep-Wake Regulation & Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders
Diagram the two-process model of sleep regulation and predict outcomes when either process is disrupted
Trace the homeostatic and circadian changes across the lifespan from infancy through older adulthood
Interpret melatonin timing relative to dim-light melatonin onset in circadian disorders
Differentiate delayed, advanced, irregular, and non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorders by clinical presentation and treatment
Your checkpoint
Annotated 24-hour circadian timeline graphic plus 15 comparison items distinguishing the circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders
Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence & Sleep-Related Movement Disorders
Apply MSLT and MWT protocols and interpret mean sleep latency with sleep-onset REM periods
Distinguish narcolepsy type 1, type 2, and idiopathic hypersomnia by clinical and laboratory criteria
Classify parasomnias versus movements using video-PSG features and timing within the night
Differentiate restless legs syndrome from periodic limb movement disorder and from mimics using the five diagnostic criteria
Your checkpoint
Case-based decision table covering narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, RLS, and PLMD with the confirming test and first-line management for each
Parasomnias
Separate NREM from REM parasomnias by arousal timing, EEG features, and recall
Distinguish sleep terrors, sleepwalking, and confusional arousals within the NREM spectrum
Identify REM sleep behavior disorder and describe its association with synucleinopathies
Formulate safety counseling and treatment plans for injurious parasomnias
Your checkpoint
Differential diagnosis write-up for one complex parasomnia case, including the PSG findings that would confirm or exclude each candidate diagnosis
Sleep in Pediatric Populations and Developmental Considerations
Apply pediatric scoring rules and age-specific normative values for apnea and hypopnea
Distinguish behavioral insomnia of childhood from other pediatric sleep complaints
Describe developmental sleep architecture changes from neonate to adolescent
Adapt diagnostic and treatment approaches for adenotonsillar hypertrophy, parasomnias, and delayed sleep phase in children
Your checkpoint
Pediatric quick-reference card with age-based norms and three worked cases spanning infancy, school age, and adolescence
Normal Sleep and Sleep-Wake Regulation & Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders & Insomnia & Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence & Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders & Parasomnias & Sleep-Related Movement Disorders & Sleep in Pediatric Populations and Developmental Considerations & Sleep Testing, Monitoring, and Diagnostic Procedures
Synthesize all domains into a single integrated review outline organized by presenting complaint
Complete a timed full-length practice exam and analyze errors by domain
Re-drill the two weakest domains identified by practice-exam performance
Recite key diagnostic criteria and scoring thresholds without reference
Your checkpoint
Practice-exam score report with a domain-by-domain error log and a remediation list of no more than ten targeted items
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 80% on the self-written sleep-related breathing and testing question set, and correctly compute AHI and RDI on both synthetic PSG worksheets
Week 4: Explain the two-process model and differentiate all circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders aloud without notes in under five minutes
Week 6: Correctly assign the confirming test and first-line treatment for at least 8 of 10 mixed hypersomnia, movement, and parasomnia cases
Week 8: Achieve a passing-equivalent score on the full-length practice exam with no domain scoring below 70%