Family-Based Sleep Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Sleep is a critical component of overall wellness, and pervasive and ubiquitous computing technologies have shown promise for allowing individuals to track and manage their sleep quality. However, sleep quality is also affected by interpersonal factors, especially for families with young children. In this study, we adopted a family informatics approach to understand opportunities and challenges for sleep technologies at the family level. We conducted home-based interviews with 10 families with young children, asking them about their current practices, values, and perceived role for technology. We describe challenges across three phases: bedtime, nighttime, and waking. We show that family-based sleep technologies may have the greatest impact by supporting family activities and rituals, encouraging children's independence, and providing comfort.