The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine

What The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine does

The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BBSM) is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. It is the recognized credentialing body for behavioral sleep medicine in the United States, administering two core certifications: the Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (DBSM) and the more recently launched Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Credential (CBTI-C). As of mid-2026, BBSM has awarded the DBSM credential to more than 350 clinicians across at least nine countries, and the DBSM is described as a standard of specialty competence recognized by patients, regulatory agencies, and healthcare employers.

BBSM's product portfolio is centered on certification and recertification rather than technology products. The DBSM is awarded to licensed clinicians (psychologists, physicians, social workers, advanced practice nurses, and related professionals) who pass a rigorous specialty examination administered through Prometric test centers. DBSM certification must be renewed every five years with documentation of 40 continuing education hours. The CBTI-C, launched in 2025 with its first two certified providers, addresses the narrower insomnia specialty. Supporting resources include candidate guide handbooks, attestation forms, accredited training program reading lists (curated in partnership with the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine), and online training videos.

BBSM's revenue model is built on one-time certification examination fees and recurring five-year recertification fees. Its go-to-market is a hybrid of sales-led (formal application and examination pipeline managed through the PTCNY portal) and community-led (public Diplomate directory driving organic referrals from patients, employers, and healthcare systems). The organization maintains core strategic partnerships with the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SBSM) for training program accreditation, Prometric for testing infrastructure, and AASM for continuing education sponsorship.

Name

The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine

Legal name

Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine

Website

https://bsmcredential.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BBSM) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit founded in 2018 that administers the DBSM and CBTI-C professional certifications for licensed clinicians practicing behavioral sleep medicine, with 350+ Diplomates across nine countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Healthcare Certification

akta.pro primary industry

Sleep Medicine Clinic (HLAKANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

Keywords

• Behavioral sleep medicine certification
• Professional healthcare credentialing
• Insomnia treatment certification
• CBTI certification program
• Sleep medicine diplomate credential

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification and Examination Fees: BBSM generates revenue through examination and certification fees levied on applicants seeking DBSM and CBTI-C credentials, as well as renewal fees for certified professionals every five years.
2. Recertification Fees: DBSM certification requires renewal every five years with documentation of 40 continuing education hours, involving renewal application fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BBSM) is an independent nonprofit organization that grants post-licensure specialty certification in behavioral sleep medicine. It administers the Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (DBSM) credential through a rigorous eligibility and examination process, and the CBTI-C credential for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia practitioners, along with five-year recertification and continuing education programs.

Product overview

The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BBSM) offers a credentialing portfolio centered on two primary certifications: the Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (DBSM) for clinicians demonstrating competency in behavioral sleep medicine through examination, and the CBTI-C (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Insomnia Credential) for specialists in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. The organization provides supporting services including training resources, candidate guides with attestation forms, and a five-year certification renewal process requiring continuing education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DBSM (Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine): The primary certification credential awarded by BBSM to applicants who meet eligibility requirements and pass the specialty BSM certification examination.
• CBTI-C (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Insomnia Credential)

Products and services

• Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (DBSM) Certification The premier post-licensure specialty certification in behavioral sleep medicine, awarded to graduate-level trained clinicians (psychologists, physicians, social workers, counselors, advanced practice nurses, dentists) who meet Standard or Alternate Track eligibility and pass the BBSM certification examination. Diplomates may use the DBSM designation after their name.
• CBTI-C (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Insomnia Credential) A specialized credential in Behavioral Sleep Medicine awarded to clinicians who specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI). The credential has its own eligibility requirements, attestation forms, and candidate guide, distinct from the DBSM pathway.
• DBSM Certification Renewals

Quantifiable outcome

• Professional recognition through DBSM credential enabling preferential hiring and practice privileges

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SBSM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBSM is a membership society whose mission focuses on serving its members and advancing the field of behavioral sleep medicine. BBSM is separate and independent, working closely with SBSM for training program accreditation and candidate referrals. Ideally one Director-at-Large is chosen from SBSM leadership.
• Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SBSM) - SBSM Accreditation CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBSM Accreditation Committee provides BSM Training Program Reading List and accredits graduate/post-doctoral BSM training programs that qualify candidates for BBSM's Standard Track eligibility pathway.
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)minorOthersAASM and other dedicated CE sponsoring organizations sponsor continuing education programs that count toward BBSM's 40 CE hour renewal requirements.
• PrometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationPrometric provides standardized testing centers for BBSM certification examinations, with international test centers available for candidates outside the US and Canada for an additional $100 fee.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): ABMS oversees the U.S. physician specialty board system, including sleep medicine certification through member boards. It is a broader-incumbent peer because ABMS establishes the physician credentialing infrastructure within which BBSM's physician-eligible candidates operate, and competing physician pathways exist via ABMS member boards.
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM): AASM is the largest professional society in sleep medicine and sponsors continuing education that counts toward BBSM recertification. It is a broader-incumbent peer because AASM serves the entire sleep medicine field (physicians, researchers, technologists) while BBSM specializes narrowly in the behavioral subspecialty.
• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): NBCC is the premier credentialing body for professional counselors, including those specializing in behavioral health. It serves as a broader-incumbent peer because it certifies counselors across multiple specialties, some of whom overlap with the behavioral sleep medicine clinician pool that BBSM targets.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): ANCC is a major nursing credentialing organization offering specialty certifications including psychiatric-mental health. It is a broader-incumbent peer because advanced practice nurses are eligible for BBSM's DBSM credential, and ANCC's certifications represent an alternative or complementary credentialing path for the same clinicians.

Direct peers

• Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT): BRPT is an independent credentialing body that certifies sleep technologists (RPSGT) through standardized examination. Like BBSM, it is a nonprofit credentialing organization serving the sleep medicine workforce, making it a structural analog for peer comparison of go-to-market, examination delivery, and recertification practices.
• American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP): ABPP is the specialty board that board-certifies psychologists across practice areas, paralleling BBSM's function for the psychologist segment of its candidate pool. ABPP is a direct peer in model and mission (specialty board certification for psychologists) and a benchmark for credentialing rigor and recognition.
• American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM): ABSM is the historical certification body for sleep medicine physicians, administering the sleep medicine specialty examination. While BBSM focuses on behavioral sleep medicine clinicians (psychologists, social workers, advanced practice nurses), both organizations serve overlapping professionals in the sleep medicine field and compete for relevance as the recognized credential.

Emerging players

• Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SBSM): SBSM is the membership society that accredits BSM training programs feeding into BBSM's Standard Track eligibility. While distinct from BBSM (membership society vs. credentialing body), the two organizations serve overlapping clinician constituencies in behavioral sleep medicine and are closely intertwined through their leadership and candidate pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/board-of-behavioral-sleep-medicine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine