01/23/2026
Where Are They Now?
Reconnect with the Pioneers of Sleep Technology
Would you like to reconnect with old friends, meet the pioneers of our field, and engage with the next generation of sleep technologists? Make plans to join us at the Southern Sleep Society’s 48th Annual Meeting and Technical Course for Allied Health Professionals, taking place April 16–18, 2026, at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.
A special networking meet‑and‑greet reception will bring together the innovators who shaped the profession and the technologists who continue to carry it forward. This gathering offers a rare opportunity to meet some of the original technician pioneers—credentialed between 1976--2000—whose dedication helped build the foundation of today’s sleep profession. These are the individuals who served on the AAST and BRPT boards, organized early educational conferences, and established regional and state sleep societies. Today’s profession truly stands on the shoulders of giants.
Now is the time to renew friendships, reconnect with colleagues, and learn directly from the visionaries who foresaw the bright future for sleep technology. Many of these trailblazers have retired, moved into new careers, or passed on, making this moment especially meaningful. As Cicero reminds us, “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?”
We’re bringing together the innovators who built the profession—AAST and BRPT leaders, early educators, and the technicians who helped shape sleep medicine from its earliest days. This is your chance to reconnect, network, and honor the giants whose work laid the foundation for today’s thriving field. Even if you are not active, retired or in another profession, the invitation is still open to you.
When the APT (now the AAST) was founded in 1978, only a handful of sleep centers and technicians existed nationwide. Early centers included Stanford University, Montefiore Hospital followed by Ohio State, Baylor College of Medicine, and UPenn. As the field expanded, many of the earliest technicians emerged from California, Ohio, Houston, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York.
If your credential number is below 5000, you qualify for an exclusive conference offer, even if you can only attend the Thursday Technical Course. Contact Marietta Bibbs at mariettabibbs@southernsleepsociety.org for details.
You can view the conference agenda: https://cvent.me/YOLENY, faculty: https://cvent.me/1V2Rdq
and conference summary: https://cvent.me/QAKL4Z
by clicking on each link.
Do You Know These Sleep Tech Pioneers?
If you have contact information for any of the original pioneers (in the list below), please share this invitation with them and help us spread the word.
