Sleep disorders has become a common health problem, the main predisposing factor of which is having trouble falling asleep. The process of falling asleep can be fraught with anxiety. “Counting sheep” has been a widely used age-old technique, though its effectiveness remains debated. This thesis investigates the potential enhancement of the sleep-inducing effect of “counting sheep” by introducing a physical product. Three designs of sleep rings were developed and tested, each offering a unique physical feedback mechanism: The first design of the ring provided users with smooth haptic sensation when being toggled; the second with damping sensation; and the third with both damping sensation and auditory feedback. The study enlisted 20 participants who experienced pre-sleep anxiety or difficulty in sleep onset, conducting a four-week experiment. Participants were assessed using the “counting sheep” method followed by the use of sleep rings, with sleep quality evaluated through PSQI and STAI, alongside monitoring with wrist activity trackers. Findings indicated that all sleep rings improved sleep compared to the traditional “counting sheep” method, alleviating pre-sleep anxiety. The ring with combined damping and auditory feedback proved particularly effective. This research confirmed the efficacy of physical feedback and multi-sensory stimulation in reducing pre-sleep anxiety and promoting sleep, suggesting new possibilities for modernizing traditional sleep aids.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Will Involving Physical Products Improve the Effects of Counting Sheep on Promoting Sleep: A Design Experiment

  • Fan Yang,
  • Zhi Lin,
  • Wei Zhang

摘要

Sleep disorders has become a common health problem, the main predisposing factor of which is having trouble falling asleep. The process of falling asleep can be fraught with anxiety. “Counting sheep” has been a widely used age-old technique, though its effectiveness remains debated. This thesis investigates the potential enhancement of the sleep-inducing effect of “counting sheep” by introducing a physical product. Three designs of sleep rings were developed and tested, each offering a unique physical feedback mechanism: The first design of the ring provided users with smooth haptic sensation when being toggled; the second with damping sensation; and the third with both damping sensation and auditory feedback. The study enlisted 20 participants who experienced pre-sleep anxiety or difficulty in sleep onset, conducting a four-week experiment. Participants were assessed using the “counting sheep” method followed by the use of sleep rings, with sleep quality evaluated through PSQI and STAI, alongside monitoring with wrist activity trackers. Findings indicated that all sleep rings improved sleep compared to the traditional “counting sheep” method, alleviating pre-sleep anxiety. The ring with combined damping and auditory feedback proved particularly effective. This research confirmed the efficacy of physical feedback and multi-sensory stimulation in reducing pre-sleep anxiety and promoting sleep, suggesting new possibilities for modernizing traditional sleep aids.