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Latest books

Clinician's handbook and Sleep disorders book covers

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.