Somnonaut

Claude Albertario

Bringing the world of sleep within reach

“Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.”

— Leonardo da Vinci

About

Four Decades in Sleep Medicine

Claude Albertario, RST, RPSGT, FAASM is Chief Sleep Technologist at the Mount Sinai South Nassau Center for Sleep Wellness on Long Island. He received his undergraduate training in Psychobiology at SUNY College at Purchase, New York.

Albertario began his career in Sleep Medicine in 1984 at Dr. Elliot Weitzman's Institute of Chronobiology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, a formative experience that shaped a lifelong commitment to the science and practice of sleep. He obtained his RPSGT credential in 1990 (holder #474), the RST credential in 2011 (#101), and was appointed an AASM Fellow in 2022.

As an early advocate of digital recording methods, Albertario spearheaded an effort at Winthrop University Hospital (now NYU-Winthrop) to become the first accredited, paperless sleep center in the world, a milestone that helped define the future of modern sleep diagnostics. He previously led the development of the Weill Cornell Medicine/NYP Pediatric Sleep Center, bringing that same dedication to children's sleep health.

In 1998, he was instrumental in forming the New York State Society of Sleep Medicine, directly contributing to the codification of polysomnography into New York State law, an achievement that affirmed the professional standing of sleep technologists statewide.

His research centers on z-ratio, an original invention: a second-by-second unified metric of sleep and wakefulness. Albertario has delivered national and international presentations on polysomnography and its analysis, served on the AASM Scoring Manual Committee (ver 2.5), and presently serves on both the Adult and Pediatric ISR panels.

On a personal note, Albertario lives with obstructive sleep apnea, successfully managed with CPAP, a lived experience that deepens his commitment to effective, compassionate patient care.

Download Curriculum Vitae

Credentials & Roles

RPSGT: Registered Polysomnographic Technologist Credential #474  ·  1990
RST: Registered Sleep Technologist Registry #101  ·  2011
FAASM: Fellow, American Academy of Sleep Medicine Appointed 2022
AASM Scoring Manual Committee Version 2.5
Adult & Pediatric ISR Panels Current
NYS Authorized Polysomnographic Technologist Authorization #000147  ·  Exp. 12/2028
AASM Gold Standard Scoring Panelist, Autoscoring Certification 2022 – Present
Current Position

Chief Sleep Technologist

Mount Sinai South Nassau
Center for Sleep Wellness

Long Island, New York

Career

A Life in Sleep Medicine

From the Institute of Chronobiology to the present day, four decades of firsts.

1984

Career Begins at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center

Joins Dr. Elliot Weitzman's Institute of Chronobiology, one of the foremost sleep research institutions in the world at the time. Receives undergraduate training in Psychobiology from SUNY College at Purchase.

1988–2011

Chief Technologist & Associate Director, Winthrop University Hospital

Leads the Sleep Disorders Center through transformative growth, eventually overseeing the design and construction of a new $3 million, eight-bed facility built to NYS Article 28 and Joint Commission standards.

1989

Invents Z-Ratio

Develops z-ratio, a continuous, second-by-second quantitative measure of the sleep/wake continuum. The metric provides a new lens for examining the structure of a night's sleep, going beyond traditional 30-second epoch staging.

1990

World's First Accredited Paperless Sleep Center

Leads Winthrop University Hospital to earn AASM accreditation as the first fully paperless sleep disorders center in the world, establishing digital polysomnography as clinically valid and scalable.

1998

Co-Founds the New York State Society of Sleep Medicine

Helps establish NYSSM to advocate for the professional recognition of sleep technologists in New York State, an effort that culminates in polysomnography being codified into NYS law.

2005

Invited Lecture at World Association of Sleep Medicine

Presents "Zomnography: An Online Metric of Sleep/Wake Using the Unitary Measure Z-Ratio" in Berlin, Germany, bringing the z-ratio research to an international scientific audience.

2011–Present

Chief Sleep Technologist, Mount Sinai South Nassau

Leads the Center for Sleep Wellness at Mount Sinai South Nassau, continuing an active clinical, research, and teaching practice while serving on national standards committees.

2018

AASM Scoring Manual Committee, Version 2.5

Contributes to the evidence-based standards governing how sleep and its disorders are identified and reported, the definitive reference for the field.

2022

Appointed FAASM: Fellow, American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the highest distinction the field's leading professional organization can confer on a sleep medicine professional.

Career Highlights

A Career Built on Firsts

01

Paperless Pioneer

Led Winthrop University Hospital to become the first accredited, paperless sleep center in the world, a benchmark that helped define digital sleep medicine.

02

Inventor of Z-Ratio

Created z-ratio, a second-by-second unified metric of sleep and wakefulness, advancing the quantitative analysis of the polysomnogram beyond epoch-based staging.

03

NYS Legislation

Co-founded the New York State Society of Sleep Medicine in 1998, directly contributing to the codification of polysomnography into New York State law.

04

Pediatric Sleep

Led the development of the Weill Cornell Medicine / NYP Pediatric Sleep Center, expanding specialized care to the youngest patients across the New York metro region.

05

Global Speaker

Delivered national and international presentations on polysomnography and its analysis, contributing to the scientific discourse of sleep medicine worldwide.

06

AASM Fellow

Appointed FAASM in 2022 and named to the AASM Scoring Manual Committee (ver 2.5), contributing to the standards that govern modern sleep staging.

Get in Touch

Open to Professional Inquiries

Collaborations, speaking engagements, and consultation are welcome.