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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2025; 18(04): e404-e409
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1813729
Original Article

Sleep Medicine Education and Practice in Latin America: Current Challenges and Perspectives

Authors

  • Alberto Labra 

    1   Instituto Mexicano de Medicina Integral de Sueño, Mexico City, Mexico
    2   Hospital Ángeles de Pedregal, Mexico City, Mexico

  • Montserrat Roldán-Navarro 

    1   Instituto Mexicano de Medicina Integral de Sueño, Mexico City, Mexico
    2   Hospital Ángeles de Pedregal, Mexico City, Mexico

  • Francisco Sánchez-Narváez 

    1   Instituto Mexicano de Medicina Integral de Sueño, Mexico City, Mexico

  • Mauricio Ruiz-Morales 

    1   Instituto Mexicano de Medicina Integral de Sueño, Mexico City, Mexico

  • Gerson Ángel-Alavez

    2   Hospital Ángeles de Pedregal, Mexico City, Mexico

  • Gerónimo Pacheco-Aispuro

    2   Hospital Ángeles de Pedregal, Mexico City, Mexico

  • Andrés Barrera-Medina

    1   Instituto Mexicano de Medicina Integral de Sueño, Mexico City, Mexico

  • Perla-Graciela Sepúlveda-Lerma

    3   Biosleep, Monterrey, Mexico

  • Reyes Haro-Valencia

    1   Instituto Mexicano de Medicina Integral de Sueño, Mexico City, Mexico

Funding No funding was received for this research.
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Abstract

Introduction

Despite significant advancements in sleep medicine, its integration into formal medical education remains uneven. While structured programs exist in some regions, a standardized framework for postgraduate education is notably lacking in Latin America. This study assesses the availability of sleep medicine training programs, how specialists gain expertise, and the current clinical practice across the region.

Methods

A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among Latin American sleep medicine specialists via a WhatsApp group of 443 professionals. The questionnaire covered formal education programs, training locations, and public and private healthcare coverage for sleep disorder treatments. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed.

Results

Seventy-four physicians from 11 Latin American countries participated. Only four countries—Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile—had formal postgraduate programs, leading many specialists to seek training abroad. Mexico was the most cited destination for further education. Public healthcare coverage varied: five countries provided sleep surgeries, while others did not, and CPAP device access was inconsistent. Private insurance generally did not cover sleep disorder treatments, including DISE, which was only covered in Argentina and Colombia with mixed responses.

Discussion

Significant disparities exist in sleep medicine education and healthcare access in Latin America. The lack of structured training limits local expertise development and increases reliance on international education. Raising awareness is a crucial step toward improving education and ensuring broader access to standardized sleep disorder care. Continued research is necessary to bridge existing gaps and enhance opportunities for specialized sleep medicine care.

Keywords

sleep medicine - postgraduate training - latin america - sleep disorders - healthcare access - medical training programs

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Ethical and research committee number: IMMIS 24–0012.


Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee of the Mexican Institute of Integral Sleep Medicine, and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.


The Ethics Committee granted a waiver of participants consent.


This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.




Publication History

Received: 25 March 2025

Accepted: 24 August 2025

Article published online:
31 December 2025

© 2025. Brazilian Sleep Academy. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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