Meet Dr. Okun

Dr. Okun is a Professor in the BioFrontiers Center at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). She is the Director of the Sleep and BioBehavioral Research Lab. Her research focuses on how sleep and sleep disturbances are related to various aspects of health, with an emphasis on pregnant and postpartum women.

Current research studies include:

• Assessment of sleep and inflammation in the early gestational period, and how that impacts pregnancy outcomes
• Whether insomnia during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for postpartum depression
• The evaluation of a smart bassinet as an intervention tool for the prevention of postpartum mood disorders in pregnant military women

3Dr. Okun has published over 70 articles and chapters relating to sleep and health and her work has been cited over 8,000 times. She has given dozens of invited lectures to students, patients, companies, healthcare providers, veterans and community members.

In recent years, she has taught the Intensive Sleep Retraining (aka Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia) workshop in her position as Director of Education and Training at The Insomnia Clinic. Through her efforts, she has helped over 300 people reform habits and improve their sleep quality.

Dr. Okun is an active educator and mentor. She has also mentored over 3 dozen students ranging from High School to Medical School.

For more information, see her CV.

For media and information requests, meeting requests, and consultation, contact Dr. Okun.