Txt2Calm: a Pilot to

Decrease Stress through Sleeping Frank Chen

Stanford University

Txt2Calm: Insights a Sleep Study 1

Pilot study • 3 Day study to encourage sleep

• 7/8 participants accepted invitation

• Graduate students & 2 recent graduates in busy lives, sleep sometimes suffers.

• Instructions include both carrot and

stick

“Studies have shown sleeping more

drastically helps manage stress,

mood, and weight-loss. I am trying to

create better sleep for your schedule.

80% of Americans sleep much less

than their bodies need and are in a

constant state of sleep deprivation.”

• Asked for >7.5 hrs of sleep. ~ 66%

compliance. 2 had early Monday

flights, 1 had early Monday meeting,

1 had friends visiting entire weekend.

Txt2Calm: Insights from a Sleep Intervention

2

Protocol • Participants placed calendar entry to

remind themselves to sleep for Friday,

Saturday, Sunday.

• Calendar entry: “Go to bed!” Google

Calendar lets you send text messages

• Every morning at 9:45 AM I text

message each individual to ask how

many hours they slept.

• I acknowledge accomplishments or

improvements with message back:

“Nice!”

• “Each morning I hope you will be able

to sleep longer than the previous night!

Think of it as a game. :)”

Txt2Calm: Insights a Sleep Study

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Key insights Difficult to focus on results. Focus on awareness of

sleeping patterns.

“I did not go to bed immediately … I wasn’t ready to go to bed” [P5, short sleeper, who slept ~ 8 hours a night but did not feel positive or negative effects]

“It allowed me to be somewhat routine about when I slept. [I forced myself to sleep before 1 AM]. Even before the alarm sounded I became aware that I needed to sleep” [P4, who slept slightly more and felt more rested]

Reminder through SMS did not trigger the “slap-on-wrist” response.

Participants placed this reminder themselves.

Did this increase self-efficacy?

Some included the exclamation mark in their calendar

Did this decrease the prescriptive feeling?

Txt2Calm: Insights a Sleep Study

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Find out more?

Research : www.designmindfulness.com

Twitter : @frankc / #CalmingTech

Personal : www.frankc.net

Txt2Calm: Insights a Sleep Study

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