The document outlines over 100 ideas to promote sleeping an appropriate amount of time, divided into categories. The categories include computer programs/applications, artifacts or items used with artifacts, campaigns, social media, intrinsic motivations, and extrinsic motivations. Some examples of ideas provided are an app that takes money from your account if you stay up late, a "sleep alarm" artifact, a social marketing campaign about benefits of sleep, making small changes to daily routines, and having friends remind you to go to bed on time.
Kisan Call Centre - To harness potential of ICT in Agriculture by answer farm...
Sleep Solutions (CCC)
1. Ideas to promote sleeping an appropriate amount of time
By:
Maria Olvera
Carlos Gómez
Sergio González
Carlos Escalante
Introduction
After having an online session brainstorming core ideas, we each came up with a few more to
create 100 different concepts we could use to promote sleeping more. We divided it by category for
ease of use. We decided to create a simple, easily readable document instead of a presentation for
the same reason, as we consider the understanding of the ideas is the most important factor at this
point.
Computer Programs / Applications
During our brainstorming session, we realized that staying up late often correlates to the usage of
electronic devices, especially computers. Naturally, a lot of the ideas were based of tackling this
particular habit.
- An app that takes out money from your account when you are past bed time
• …and transfers the funds to a NGO
• …or used by medical centers in health campaigns.
• An app that trades money for sleeping hours. If you don’t sleep it takes money from
you and if you get enough hours it gives you money.
- An app the reminds you of the small willpower you have if you stay up late*
• …and posts it on your Facebook timeline
• …and posts pictures funny pictures of you in there
• An app that threatens to expose your poor habits of staying up late in Facebook and
Twitter if you’re still awake alter hours.
- App that sends you an email at bedtime
• E-mail alerts with your picture and signed document where you state your
commitment to go to bed early. It’ll be sent at the time you should go to bed and you
click on a “I’m going to bed now” button.
- App that calculates your rest % depending on the hours you sleep*
• …and that predicts the effects of not sleeping enough on your body
• An app that calculates the sleep time you’ll get if you sleep now
• App that counts the time you wasted and presents the total time of a month and the
possible damage in your body.
- An app that tells post each one of your online movements on facebook if you use social
networks afterhours.
2. - Pop ups on the net that remind you to got to sleep
• An app that sends an annoying notification every 5 minutes after its time to sleep until
it detects no movement.
• A computer program that fills your screen with messages till you turn your computer
off.
- An app or program that begins dimming the brightness of the PC screen after hours
• An app on electronic devices that delivers less light/brightness as its getting late
- Program that lower the lights and starts soft music, also turn up the heat at a certain time.
- A computer program with a motherly character reminding you to go to sleep
• Computer app with a cartoon that appears on your screen and reminds you some
minutes before you should go to bed.
- App that transforms your music selection to a “relaxed” playlist after hours*
• …that plays specially selected music for sleeping
• A book reader next to the bed that plays after a certain hour
• My sleep radio: an online webpage where you can create playlists with the music you
like and with music that makes you feel sleepy.
- An app that plays unpleasant music if the computer is on after 10 o clock…
- Program that cuts down the time you can use social networks
Artefacts or used with Artefacts
A lot products or applications with existing products came up during the conversation. From alarms
to cookies, here we gathered all physically used item to help us get more sleep.
- Special cellphone alarm
• A watch that beeps when it’s time to sleep
• An SMS message that tells you its time to sleep
• Set an alarm clock to ring at the time you must go to bed, it will be connected to your
computer; once the cell phone rings your computer turns off.
- A “sleep alarm” artifact
• An alarm that sets off when its time to sleep and plays relaxing sounds
• An app with an alarm that sounds like someone yawning till you get sleepy.
- A TV signal blocking device for the PM
• A device that blocks the internet after a certain hour.
• Wi-fi machine connected to all your devices and after a certain time it blocks all of
them.
- A device that moderates electricity output on the house after hours
- An aroma plug with specialized odors that incites sleep (and conditions it)
- A device that expels a bad smell if it detects movement after a certain hour
• Some equipment that emits unusual and unpleasant odors if you are using your
computer when you should be sleeping.
- A device that tells a bad joke every time it detects movement after a certain hour
- All-natural pills
3. - A natural “sleep tea” that contains relaxing herbs
- Ergonomic massage chairs
- A “smart-mattress” that syncs with you phone
• Create a massage mattress
• Create a mattress that heats up or cools off depending on the weather
• Speaking mattress that starts inviting you to go to sleep after a certain time (with a
cute voice impossible to ignore).
- Smart mouse that identifies the time being used and vibrates when you should go to bed.
- Sleeping glasses that slowly start putting everything dark reminding you to go to bed.
- Crying pillow: this pillow starts crying after a certain time because your head is not on it.
- Smart light bulb programmed to turn itself slowly and changing its colors until red tells
you only five minutes to go to bed.
- Sleepy a teddy bear that invites you to sleep with him.
- Sleeping cookies: you eat one and you’ll get sleepy.
- Some sort of machine that starts rubbing your shoulders and back at some hour.
- A box with weekly sleeping teas
- A device that heats your seat till you can no longer use it, if you use your computer
afterhours.
Campaigns
Social or ad campaigns to create conscience are another massive medium to promote sleep and
communicate to the people the benefits or sleeping an appropriate amount of time.
- Campaign promoting tea to help you sleep*
• Tea+ Books = better sleep
• Start drinking more tea (in places like Mexico this is not so common)
- An education campaign about the benefits of sleep + app
• A social marketing campaign by the government about the benefits of sleeping 8 hours
• Social marketing campaign that educates people about the benefits of sleeping
enough. (Use opinion leaders to promote campaign – Oprah, Ellen, Conan O’Brien)
- Campaign “Sleep early, save on you electric bill”
• “Sleep early” global day, where people turn off the lights earlier than usual so they
experience this new behavior.
• Social marketing campaign showing how sleeping earlier saves energy.
• TV campaign with a video telling people about the benefits of going to sleep early
- A alliance with mattress producers
- A campaign to reduce the time people spent in front of screens.
- A campaign to lower the hours people use social networks.
- Government sponsored “Sleep therapy” sessions for people
- Government sponsored diet and exercise routine development for better sleep
- Industry sponsored “Sleepy at Home, Safe at the Job” campaign to prevent accidents
- Government sponsored “The real working hours” campaign
4. Social Media
While a lot of the ideas used social media, here are the ones using purely the power of these
networks without other means of dispersal.
- Milestones in Facebook
• Post a milestone on facebook with the title “I quit a habit” describing your new
sleeping habits. Make a virtual campaign with your friends and make it grow.
- Promoting small behaviour changes through social media, like turning the lights (and
electronics) off earlier
- Annoying Facebook pop-ups after a certain hour
- A facebook pop up that plays relaxing music after a certain hour
Intrinsic Motivations
Listed here are changes in habits or attitude made by the user that could help him or her kick the
habit of staying up late.
- Begin making small changes in your daily routine
• Start with little changes: if you used to go to bet at 12, go to bed at 11:45 for one
week and start reducing that time until you get to your ideal bed time.
- Make a commitment to turn off electronics at a certain time of the night.
• One day a week turn off your computer or any device that makes you waste your time,
go to bed early and evaluate how you felt the next day. Do it often and you’ll see the
results.
- Do activities that make you sleep easier (listen to music, read, watch tv or boring movies)
Extrinsic Motivations or with extrinsic consequences
Listed here are external motivations or enforcers the user can depend on to get better sleep.
- Make your friends remind you of going to sleep
• Talk to your close friends about your sleeping problem and your desire to change it.
Make an agreement with them to remind you should go to bed if they see you around
at a certain time.
• If your friends see you connected they have the right to ask you for an invitation to a
beer, a coffee or something else.
- A phone calling service reminding you to go to sleep
- Late night call from “your mom” yelling it’s time to sleep.
- Create a social movement where people call each other on the phone saying it’s time to
sleep
- If any activity is detected in your computer, an app will call your mother, to tell her you
are still awake.
- In case of any computer activity, an app would set an alarm to wake other people up. That
way you must have to turn off the computer, unless you want a whole bunch of people
mad at you.
5. - In case of afterhour’s activity, an app would lock your candy storage so you can’t have any
snacks or candies the next day.