That date belies the importance and interest in sleep that has been going on essentially since time began. It is difficult to determine even an estimated point in time when an interest in sleep occurred. Likewise, it is nearly impossible to pick a date, person, or event that points to the beginning of sleep research. The advances in medicine over time have contributed significantly to the understanding of sleep and sleep research. There are few, if any, medical specialties that do not intersect with the past, present, and future understanding and study of sleep.
Sleep medicine is truly a multidisciplinary science.