iSleeep
iSleep is a solution to teenagers’ sleep deprivation problem.
What is thee problem?
Teenagers are getting less sleep than ever before with the rise of smartphones. The National Sleep Foundation’s poll found that three in four teenagers, bring some kind of technology into the bedroom.
Why is it important to solve this problem?
Phones disrupted sleep in two ways, with the bright light from screens disrupting natural circadian rhythms, and messages received before sleep spiking “cognitive and emotional arousal”.
Researchers say, teenagers’ late-night mobile phone use is harming their sleep and potentially their mental health.
Sleep deprivation during adolescence can cause mood, emotional, and academic performance problems, weakened immune system, depression, suicidal thoughts, and obesity
User Research
To validate the problem and understand the pain points we conducted 8 user interviews and received 30 survey responses. Based on the survey data we learned that almost 94% of teens use their phones in bed and 70%respond to messages and notifications. 75% notice symptoms of sleep deprivation, including feeling sleepy, foggy mind, headache, and difficulty concentrating during the day.
We synthesized the information from surveys and interviews and create a persona and an empathy map to understand the pain points and needs and find room for improvement and solve the problem.
We came across two common themes, which were Habit and Easy Access. Most of the interviewees told us that they regularly reached for their phones, often just out of habit, when they woke up in the middle of the night. They also mentioned that their phone is the first thing they pick up in the morning because they use it as an alarm clock.
Solution
To solve the problem, we thought that limiting smartphone use before bed was a strategy that could change the habit. We designed an application that helps regulate tech usage, complete with a phone lockbox. Users can put the phone inside the lockbox and set the timer. After the timer goes off, the lockbox will open up, and they can unlock a monster on the app as a reward. They can also use the lockbox as an alarm clock and listen to music or podcasts. The app also has features that help them reduce their screen time and get rewards.
