Research

Dr. Okun's Current Studies

SHINE

Sleep Health in Newly Expectant Military Women

To test the effectiveness of a Smart Bassinet to prevent/mitigate postpartum mood disorders; and evaluate a novel intervention for postpartum mood disorders.

This project funded through the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program under Award Number (HT9425-24-1-0690) is supported by The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs endorsed by the Department of Defense (DoD) to evaluate whether risk for postpartum depression can be ameliorated through improving infant sleep, and/or maternal sleep in the first six months post-delivery. Currently, female service members and female military spouses are the fastest growing segment of the military. Despite the large representation, little emphasis has been placed on their unique experiences, in particular pregnancy and the consequences that may arise from this experience.

PRIDE

Prenatal Insomnia Depression Study

Insomnia and emerging phenotypes may be more prevalent among perinatal women than once thought. They may be responsible for increased poor outcome risk. Examining the impact of insomnia phenotypes on outcome-associated biological indices will help extend the knowledge regarding the impact of insomnia on maternal and infant outcomes and assist the development and implementation of interventions. The study is funded by the NICHD (R15).

Psychological Stress Among College Students: Effects on Physiological Markers of Stress

It is well known that college students experience a great deal of stress. It is also known that stress can modify various aspects of health. This study is designed to evaluate the impact that psychological stress has on college student’s sleep quality, physiological stress hormone levels, and levels of dehydration.

Who We Are

Sleep and Biobehavioral Research Lab | BioFrontiers

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