Journal profile · Clinical Neurology
Sleep Medicine
ISSN 1389-9457 · eISSN 1878-5506 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Bimonthly · Founded 2000
Sleep Medicine: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.04; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,350; median 90 days to acceptance (187 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 602 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Sleep Medicine is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Sleep and related disorders, Sleep and Wakefulness Research and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research, together about 57.5% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Official Journal of the World Sleep Society (WSS) and International Pediatric Sleep Association (IPSA).Sleep Medicine is committed to advancing the understanding and treatment of sleep disorders through a multidisciplinary approach.We serve clinicians, researchers, and health professionals involved in all facets of sleep medicine, with a focus on the human experience of sleep and its influence on overall health and well-being.The journal publishes high-quality research that bridges basic sleep science and clinical practice. Covering a wide array of topics, we welcome submissions on sleep neurophysiology, common sleep disorders — including insomnia, sleep-related breathing issues, circadian rhythm disturbances, parasomnias, and movement disorders — as well as pediatric sleep health, sleep in neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions, and the latest technological advances in diagnostics and therapeutics. We also encourage research exploring the interactions between sleep medicine and fields such as neurosurgery, otorhinolaryngology, and dentistry.Sleep Medicine actively promotes research that addresses emerging challenges, offers innovative solutions, and informs clinical practice. Accepted formats include Original Research Articles, Reviews, Short Communications, and Correspondences.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Clinical Neurology
Editor-in-chief Winfried RanderathPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 25, Canada 11, Italy 9, France 7, Germany 3 (73 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Sleep and related disordersPsychology23.2%
- Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchNeuroscience17.2%
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea ResearchMedicine17%
- Restless Legs Syndrome ResearchMedicine7.5%
- Sleep and Work-Related FatiguePsychology6.7%
- Neuroscience of respiration and sleepNeuroscience5.3%
- Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and TreatmentsMedicine3.5%
- Circadian rhythm and melatoninNeuroscience2.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Clinical Neurology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Clinical Neurology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Clinical Neurology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.04LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.13LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.22LetPub ·
- h-index
- 107LetPub ·
- h-index
- 194OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,292OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.38OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 30.82%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 484LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 16,763 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2,189 | 488 | 154 |
| 2025 | 602 | 233 | 1,703 |
| 2024 | 1,582 | 258 | 4,161 |
| 2023 | 422 | 181 | 4,434 |
| 2022 | 1,151 | 231 | 5,230 |
| 2021 | 482 | 183 | 10,926 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
90 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 59 days – 124 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (187 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 94 days
- Sample
- 187 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,152 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 1.6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 41 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 87 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,350 / EUR 4,070 / GBP 3,480 / JPY 539,530 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,130 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- correspondences (letter to the editor)Correspondences (Letter to the Editor): Correspondence relating to recently published articles.Length not stated
- editorialo manuscripts published in the journal. Editorials may contain up to 1,000 words and 10 references. These are often invited, but if not andmain text ≤ 1,000 words
- editorialsEditorials: Concise commentaries on timely and controversial topics, or on new perspectives related to manuscripts published in the journal.Length not stated
- meta-analysisArticles published in Sleep Medicine are intended to provide clinically relevant information that helps readers stay up to date with developments in the field.C…Length not stated
- original articleArticles published in Sleep Medicine are intended to provide clinically relevant information that helps readers stay up to date with developments in the field.C…Length not stated
- original articlesOriginal Articles: Manuscripts related to diagnosis, clinical features, pathophysiology, aetiology, treatment (across all relevant modalities including pharmaco…Length not stated
- reviewArticles published in Sleep Medicine are intended to provide clinically relevant information that helps readers stay up to date with developments in the field.C…Length not stated
- review articleArticles published in Sleep Medicine are intended to provide clinically relevant information that helps readers stay up to date with developments in the field.C…main text ≤ 8,000 words
- review articlesReview Articles: Comprehensive overviews of all aspects of clinical sleep medicine and related basic science that contribute to understanding clinical sleep med…Length not stated
- short communicationsShort Communications: Preliminary or limited results of investigations.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2000
- ISSN
- 1389-9457
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-5506
- Society / sponsor
- World Sleep Society
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Sleep Medicine
What CAS zone is Sleep Medicine in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Sleep Medicine is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Clinical Neurology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Sleep Medicine?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.04; CiteScore 5.9, h-index 194.
How long does peer review take at Sleep Medicine?
Based on the dates recorded on 187 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 90 days (interquartile range 59–124 days); authors report an average review time of about 1.6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Sleep Medicine?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Sleep Medicine based?
Of the 73 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (25), Canada (11) and Italy (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Sleep Medicine?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Sleep Medicine is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Sleep Medicine open access, and what is the APC?
Sleep Medicine is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,350.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .