Natalie Solomon
Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Bio
Dr. Solomon is a licensed psychologist, board certified in behavioral sleep medicine, and a clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Solomon conducts research as a member of the Computational Psychiatry, Neuroimaging, Sleep Lab (CoPsyN Sleep Lab) and treats patients in the Sleep Health and Insomnia Program (SHIP). Dr. Solomon specializes in the study and treatment of sleep disorders. Her clinical interests include the intersection of sleep difficulties with overall quality of life and women’s health. Dr. Solomon enjoys treating a variety of sleep difficulties, including insomnia, hypnotic dependence, circadian rhythm disturbances, NREM parasomnias, and nightmares. Dr. Solomon additionally consults, teaches undergrads, graduate students, and continuing studies, supervises postdoctoral fellows, and trains providers to deliver insomnia treatment.
Clinical Focus
- Sleep Medicine Specialty
- Womens Health
- Clinical Psychology
Academic Appointments
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Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Professional Education
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Board Certification: Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Clinical Psychology (2022)
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Internship: VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center Psychology Training (2020) CA
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Fellowship: Stanford University Sleep Medicine Fellowship (2021) CA
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Doctorate, PGSP Stanford PsyD Consortium, Clinical Psychology (2020)
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Masters, PGSP Stanford PsyD Consortium
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Bachelors, Wake Forest University
2025-26 Courses
- Connections between the sleep and awake worlds
PSYC 13Q (Win) -
Prior Year Courses
2024-25 Courses
- Connections between the sleep and awake worlds
PSYC 13Q (Spr)
2023-24 Courses
- Connections between the sleep and awake worlds
PSYC 13Q (Win)
- Connections between the sleep and awake worlds
All Publications
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Reconsidering the dangerous normalization of postpartum sleep loss.
Archives of women's mental health
2026; 29 (3)
View details for DOI 10.1007/s00737-026-01698-y
View details for PubMedID 41979670
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC13079470
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EXAMINING FRONTO-LIMBIC BRAIN AND SLEEP MECHANISMS OF ANTI-DEPRESSANT EFFECTS IN COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA
SPRINGERNATURE. 2026
View details for Web of Science ID 001665758000385
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Insomnia Intervention Associated with Improvements in Affective Brain Function, Mood, and Sleep in Depression
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2025: A521
View details for DOI 10.1093/sleep/zsaf090.1207
View details for Web of Science ID 001490501500013
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Insomnia Intervention Associated With Improvements in Affective Brain Function and Mood in Depression
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. 2025
View details for Web of Science ID 001500622200108
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Insomnia Intervention is Associated With Changing Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Activity in Depression
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. 2025
View details for Web of Science ID 001491712900069
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Sleep disturbance and menopause.
Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology
2025
Abstract
Sleep problems are among the most prevalent and bothersome symptoms of menopause. This review characterizes menopausal sleep disturbances, describes biopsychosocial predictors, and summarizes the evidence supporting pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment options.Recent studies found that sleep changes are early indicators of perimenopause and sought to disentangle the respective impacts of menopausal status, hot flashes (HFs), and changes in reproductive hormones on peri-/postmenopausal sleep problems. Both HFs and reproductive hormones predicted sleep problems, but neither solely accounted for the myriad changes in sleep, thus highlighting the contribution of additional biopsychosocial risk factors. Inconsistencies across studies were likely due to differences in study design and methodology, participants' menopausal stage, and the presence of sleep complaints. Recent studies support the use of psychological (cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia) and pharmacological (e.g., neurokinin B antagonists) treatments in addition to hormone therapy.Sleep problems are common and of critical import to women during the menopausal transition, significantly influencing treatment preferences and satisfaction. Thus, sleep problems should be routinely assessed from a biopsychosocial perspective and treated with evidence-based interventions throughout menopause. Treatment selection should be based on diagnosis and careful assessment.
View details for DOI 10.1097/GCO.0000000000001012
View details for PubMedID 39820156
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The effects of a sleep intervention in the early COVID-19 pandemic on insomnia and depressive symptoms: Results of a randomized controlled pilot study.
Journal of psychiatric research
2025; 182: 319-328
Abstract
The COVID-19 Pandemic increased the prevalence and severity of insomnia and depression symptoms. The effects of an insomnia intervention on future insomnia and depression symptoms delivered during an ongoing stressor, which may have precipitated the insomnia symptoms, is unknown. We conducted a two-arm randomized controlled pilot study to evaluate whether an insomnia intervention would improve the trajectory of insomnia and depression symptoms in the context of a global pandemic. Forty-nine individuals with clinically significant insomnia symptoms that emerged after the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic were randomized to one of two groups: one group received four sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) over five weeks via telehealth, and the other was assigned to a 28-week waitlist control group. Participants completed assessments of insomnia and depressive symptom severity at baseline (week 0) and at weeks 1-6, 12, and 28. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate treatment efficacy. The MacArthur model was used to test whether improvement in insomnia symptoms mediated subsequent improvement in mood. The CBT-I group showed improved trajectories of insomnia (b = -1.03, p < 0.005, 95% CI [-1.53, -0.53]) and depressive symptoms (b = -0.47, p = 0.007, [-0.80, -0.13]) across the 28 weeks compared to the control group. The rate of improvement of insomnia symptoms during treatment mediated the subsequent improvement in depressive symptom severity following treatment (b = 2.10, p = 0.024, [0.30, 3.90]). Although the sample size was small, these results underscore the potential CBT-I in the context of an ongoing stressor to not only alleviate insomnia symptoms, but also improve depressive symptoms.
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.01.011
View details for PubMedID 39842220
- Cognitive components Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in the Context of Comorbid Mental Health 2025
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Feasibility and Acceptability of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction and Prenatal Sleep Classes for Poor Prenatal Sleep Quality: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Behavioral sleep medicine
2024: 1-15
Abstract
The main objectives of the current paper were to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and adherence of a remotely delivered intervention consisting of mindfulness-based stress reduction plus prenatal sleep classes (MBSR+PS) compared with treatment as usual (TAU).In this pilot randomized controlled trial, 52 pregnant women with poor sleep quality were randomized to MBSR+PS or TAU. MBSR was delivered through eight weekly 2.5-hour sessions, and PS was delivered through eight weekly 30-minute sessions. PS content drew material from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia tailored for the perinatal period and from a mindfulness- and acceptance-based lens. Participants completed endpoint measures 10-12 weeks after randomization.We surpassed all acceptability targets, including the percentage of eligible participants willing to be randomized (96%), percentage of participants who initiated treatment (88%), and satisfaction scores (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 score M = 28.04, SD = 3.6). We surpassed all feasibility targets, including our enrollment target, retention rate (92%), and measure completion (96%). Finally, we surpassed adherence targets, including MBSR and PS session attendance (≥80%). Though sleep outcomes were exploratory, increases in sleep efficiency were greater in the MBSR+PS group relative to TAU (SMD=.68).Patient-reported poor sleep quality during pregnancy has high public health significance because it is common, consequential, and under-treated. The current feasibility and acceptability data for using remotely delivered MBSR and PS to improve prenatal sleep quality are encouraging and warranting future research that is sufficiently powered and designed to provide efficacy data. In addition, exploratory sleep outcomes offer preliminary evidence that this sleep program may improve sleep efficiency during pregnancy.
View details for DOI 10.1080/15402002.2024.2359415
View details for PubMedID 38850019
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PREDICTORS OF INSUFFICIENT TREATMENT RESPONSE TO DIGITAL CBT-I: RESULTS FROM THE RESTING STUDY
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2024
View details for DOI 10.1093/sleep/zsae067.01063
View details for Web of Science ID 001262172000170
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IMPROVEMENTS IN PRENATAL INSOMNIA PREDICT LOWER DEPRESSION SEVERITY DURING POSTPARTUM IN LOW- AND HIGH-INCOME WOMEN
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2024
View details for DOI 10.1093/sleep/zsae067.0378
View details for Web of Science ID 001262172000613
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PREDICTORS OF INSOMNIA AND DEPRESSION IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED INSOMNIA TREATMENT TRIAL IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2024
View details for DOI 10.1093/sleep/zsae067.0375
View details for Web of Science ID 001262172000610
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Modifying the Emotion Regulation Brain Network in Depression: Mechanistic Insights From a Clinical Trial of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia
SPRINGERNATURE. 2023: 208-209
View details for Web of Science ID 001184093500400
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EARLY SLEEP INTERVENTION MITIGATES POOR SLEEP AND IMPROVES MOOD IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2023: A141
View details for Web of Science ID 001008232900318
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Symptoms and survivorship needs differences between “good sleepers” and “bad sleepers” in survivors of breast and gynecologic cancers
Sleep Medicine
2022
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.sleep.2022.07.002
- Quantifying energy and fatigue Quantifying Quality of Life: Incorporating Daily Life into Medicine. Springer. 2022: 79-117
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CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH NAPPING AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN WITH INSOMNIA
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2021: A132
View details for Web of Science ID 000698984300329
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EVENING CHRONOTYPE PREDICTS SUBJECTIVE SLEEP SYMPTOM SEVERITY IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH INSOMNIA DISORDER
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2021: A151
View details for Web of Science ID 000698984300380
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PILOT STUDY OF A NOVEL APPROACH MANAGEMENT OF SLEEP ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS (MOSAIC) DURING CHEMOTHERAPY
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2020: S647
View details for Web of Science ID 000546262401517
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Pilot Study of a Novel Approach Management of Sleep Associated Problems in Breast Cancer Patients (MOSAIC) During Chemotherapy.
Sleep
2020
Abstract
This pilot RCT was conducted to assess the preliminary effects of Brief Behavioral Therapy for Cancer-Related Insomnia (BBT-CI) delivered by trained research staff in comparison to a sleep hygiene pamphlet control, and to assess moderators of treatment effect in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.Of 74 participants recruited, 37 were randomized to BBT-CI and 37 were randomized to the control condition. Trained staff members delivered the intervention during chemotherapy treatments to reduce burden on the patients. Insomnia was assessed with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), anxiety was assessed with the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), symptom burden was assessed with the Symptom Inventory (SI), and study staff recorded previous treatments and surgeries received by patients.Patients randomized to BBT-CI showed significantly greater improvements in their ISI scores than the sleep hygiene group. Additionally, several treatment moderators were identified. The effect of BBT-CI was greater among individuals with lower baseline state-trait anxiety, with previous surgery for cancer, and with higher baseline somatic symptom severity.BBT-CI shows preliminary efficacy compared to the sleep hygiene handout on insomnia in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. A large phase III RCT needs to be conducted to replicate the preliminary findings.
View details for DOI 10.1093/sleep/zsaa070
View details for PubMedID 32274500
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The impact of chronotype on prosocial behavior
PLOS ONE
2019; 14 (4)
View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0216309
View details for Web of Science ID 000466364800043
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Survivorship care needs of breast and gynecologic cancer patients and survivors (N=220)
2019
View details for DOI 10.1007/s00520-019-04813-1
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The impact of chronotype on prosocial behavior.
PloS one
2019; 14 (4): e0216309
Abstract
Chronotype (morningness/eveningness) is associated with preference for the timing of many types of behavior, most notably sleep. Chronotype is also associated with differences in the timing of various physiologic events as well as aspects of personality. One aspect linked to personality, prosocial behavior, has not been studied before in the context of chronotype. There are many variables contributing to who, when, and why one human might help another and some of these factors appear fixed, while some change over time or with the environment. It was our intent to examine prosocial behavior in the context of chronotype and environment.Randomly selected adults (N = 100, ages 18-72) were approached in a public space and asked to participate in a study. If the participants consented (n = 81), they completed the reduced Morning-Eveningness Questionnaire and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale, then prosocial behavior was assessed.We found that people exhibited greater prosocial behavior when they were studied further from their preferred time of day. This did not appear to be associated with subjective sleepiness or other environmental variables, such as ambient illumination. This suggests the importance of appreciating the differentiation between the same individual's prosocial behavior at different times of day. Future studies should aim at replicating this result in larger samples and across other measures of prosocial behavior.
View details for PubMedID 31039208
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7560-1343