Contact information
Latest books
BOOKS (Recent)
Espie, C.A. (2021) Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques, 2nd edition. Little, Brown Book Group, London
Baglioni, C., Espie, C.A., & Riemann D. (2022) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia across the Lifespan: Guidelines and Clinical Protocols for Health Professionals. Wiley & Sons, London and New York
Espie, C.A. (2025) The Clinician’s Guide to Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutics (CBTx) for Insomnia: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach. Cambridge University Press, UK
Espie, C.A., Zee, P., & Morin, C.M. (2025) The Oxford Handbook of Sleep and Sleep Disorders (Oxford Library of Psychology) 2nd edition. Oxford University Press, USA
Colin A. Espie
PhD, DSc(Med), FMedSci, FBPsS, FRCGP(Hon), FAASM
Emeritus Professor of Sleep Medicine
- I have now RETIRED from clinical academic work
I am not taking on any new students, postgraduates, fellows, interns or trainees, collaborations, or patients
ENQUIRIES FOLLOWING MY RETIREMENT
IN GENERAL - my Oxford email has an OOO reply. I scan emails, but please do not expect a reply. My apologies
RESEARCH opportunities and collaboration - directed to Experimental & Clinical Sleep Medicine
TRAINING in CBTx and in sleep medicine - directed to Oxford Online Programme in Sleep Medicine.
CLINICAL matters - I am not taking on patients. I direct you back to your GP or other trusted health professional
CONSULTING - I support Big Health, one or two start-up companies and some charities
MEDIA - I am not actively seeking opportunities
Roles, research interests and expertise
Emeritus Professor of Sleep Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), University of Oxford
Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow
Senior Research Fellow, Somerville College, Oxford
Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences,
Fellow, British Psychological Society,
Honorary Fellow, Royal College of General Practitioners
Fellow, American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Honorary Fellow, British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies
Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist, NHS Lanarkshire.
Co-founder, Big Health/ Sleepio
I founded the Experimental & Clinical Sleep Medicine research programme in the Sir Jules Thorn Sleep & Circadian Research Institute (SCNi) and the Oxford Online Programme in Sleep Medicine.
I was also Founding Director of the Better Sleep theme in the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre.
I qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 1980, and held many NHS clinical and academic positions in the UK. Before moving to Oxford in 2013, I was founding Director of the University of Glasgow Sleep Centre (1995 - 2012), I have held Visiting Professorships at prestigious institutions in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia.
My expertise is in the clinical and laboratory assessment and treatment of sleep disorders, particularly using Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutics (CBTx), and in studies of the aetiology and maintenance of insomnia disorder. I am interested in the relationships between sleep and mental health and sleep and metabolic health. I have published over 370 scientific papers and written or edited numerous books.
I served on the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) Sleep Medicine and Sleep Education committees, and co-chaired the ESRS CBT Academy, as well as on American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and World Sleep Society (WSS) committees. I was for many years Deputy Editor for the Journal of Sleep Research; and served on the Editorial Board of Sleep Medicine Reviews.
I was awarded the Mary A. Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award by the Sleep Research Society in 2017 and the Peter Hauri Career Distinguished Achievement Award by the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine in 2021.
Research groups
Recent publications
"Why don't They Seek Help?" A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Motivators to Insomnia Treatment Among Youth.
Journal article
Sit HF. et al, (2026), Behav Sleep Med, 1 - 12
The Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale: A reliability generalization meta-analysis of internal consistency.
Journal article
Gaspar V. et al, (2026), Sleep Med, 148
Guideline clarification: dropout in FDA-cleared dCBT-I is comparable to pharmacotherapy and therapist-delivered CBT-I.
Journal article
Henry AL. et al, (2026), J Clin Sleep Med, 22
Sleep and circadian health in the UK Biobank: report on the 2023 sleep questionnaire enhancement
Journal article
Tse KYK. et al, (2026), SLEEP, 49
Association of Prodromal Parkinson's Disease-Like Features in Long COVID With Dream-Enactment Behaviours.
Journal article
Gong S. et al, (2026), J Sleep Res