Established in 1978 as the Association of Polysomnographic Technologists (APT), the American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST) was incorporated in the State of Minnesota in 1986. Peter McGregor, RPSGT, leader of this effort, was elected as the first President of APT. The primary goals of the association were to build a professional identity for polysomnographic technologists, develop standards, education and training for the polysomnography as an emerging field, and provide means of communication and a forum for polysomnographic technologists. At the time the APT was a small group of twenty individuals which over the years has grown into a national membership organization of nearly 4,800 members.

In 1979 the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT), a committee of the APT until 2000, administered the first registry examination at the New York State University Sleep Disorders Laboratory in Stony Brook. Since that time, over 15,000 technologists have obtained an RPSGT credential. The BRPT is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

In April 2003 the profession of polysomnographic technology was recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Subsequently, the Committee on Accreditation of Education for Polysomnographic Technologist (CoAPSG) was formed, with three members from each of the sponsoring organizations: the APT, the AASM and the BRPT. At this time, the profession has 29 CAAHEP accredited certificate and associate programs in the United States educating students in sleep technology.

On January 1, 2007 the APT has officially changed its name to the American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST).

The American Association of Sleep Technologists 30th Anniversary Annual Meeting took place on June 8-11, 2008 in Baltimore, MD. The AAST celebrated three decades of advancing technical excellence this year at its premier educational event that attracted nearly 1400 sleep technologists and allied healthcare professionals. Peter McGregor, RPSGT, and Sharon Keenan, PhD, RPSGT, founding members of AAST, attended this special event.

For three decades the AAST has been advancing, preserving and promoting the sleep technology profession. As a national health care membership association of professionals dedicated to improving the quality of sleep and wakefulness in all people, AAST promotes and advances the sleep technology profession through continued development of educational, technical and clinical excellence in sleep disorders centers.

Over the past few years the association has taken several steps to accomplish its mission by making certain that enough well-trained technologists are available to meet current as well as expected growth of the field, providing formal educational programs and on-going training that broaden professional knowledge, advocating on behalf of its members to protect the profession and finally creating professional standards that ensure quality care. In the past three years the association has developed additional resources and programs to further assist members and all those interested in sleep technology profession.

The AAST continues to provide the Sleep Technology Profession with a unified voice that represents more than 4,800 sleep technologists across the United States.