Sleepio wants to help people sleep better, using the power of technology. The Sleepio course — an immersive online CBT sleep improvement course — is the first example of this.
Founded by sleep expert Professor Colin Espie and ex-insomnia-sufferer Peter Hames, we are also committed to advancing the understanding and profile of sleep problems. We have been measuring the world's sleep since March 2010 via the Great British Sleep Survey and World Sleep Survey, collecting one of the world's largest sleep datasets in the process. We have also developed partnerships with organisations including the Guardian and the Mental Health Foundation to promote awareness of the importance of sleep.
Professor Colin Espie is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Sleep Centre at the University of Glasgow. He chairs the Scientific Committee of the European Sleep Research Society and leads the World Sleep Federation's insomnia task force. He has been researching sleep and sleep problems for over 30 years, and co-founded Sleepio to allow the widest population possible to benefit from his findings.
Professor Espie's research interests include the pathophysiology of insomnia (with an emphasis upon neurocognitive processes), primary and secondary sleep disturbance (particularly sleep and depression, and sleep and cancer), cognitive behavioural treatments for insomnia, critical mechanisms in CBT and issues of sleep therapy compliance.
Peter Hames holds a Masters degree in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University, and overcame his long term poor sleep by applying techniques refined by Professor Espie. It was his frustration at how difficult it was to access these proven techniques that inspired him to create the Sleepio course, using his experience of web technologies.
As co-founder of lastminute.com Martha became an icon of the first internet boom in the early 2000s. She is now the UK Government's Digital Champion, attempting to get 100% of the nation online and to improve public services using technology. She also co-founded Lucky Voice and Antigone, and serves as a non-executive director at Marks & Spencer, Channel 4 and Mydeco.com.
Sir Neil Douglas MD(Edin) DSc(Edin) HonMD(StA) FRCP FRCPE is Chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Professor of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and an Honorary Consultant Physician at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Previous roles include President of the British Sleep Society and President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He has long championed the provision of clinical services for sleep disorders in the UK.
