Principal Investigator Rosalind Picard
Despite a vast body of knowledge about the importance of sleep, our daily schedules are often planned around work and social events, not healthy sleep. While we're prompted throughout the day by devices and people to plan and think about our schedules in terms of things to do, sleep is rarely considered until we're tired and it's late. This project proposes a way that our everyday use of technology can help improve sleep habits. Smartphone unlock screens are an unobtrusive way of prompting user reflection throughout the day by posing "microquestions" as users unlock their phone. The questions are easily answered with a single-swipe. Since we unlock our phones 50 to 200 times per day, microquestions can collect information with minimal intrusiveness to the user’s daily life. Can these swipe-questions help users mentally plan their day around sleep, and trigger healthier sleep behaviors?