The history of sleep medicine.

Sleep medicine as it is known today actually started as research and scientific study, not as clinical medicine. When one considers that sleep medicine today is in its infancy, it is obvious that there is much more to learn. The history of sleep dates back to the 1880s. However, the most significant developments that moved sleep forward into the practice of medicine, and eventually dentistry, occurred from the 1950s on. This article explores the highlights of the history of sleep and sleep medicine.