enhancing the sleeping quality of partners living apart
An increasing number of people reports sleeping problems. In the present paper we describe Somnia: a system designed to support remote couples to fall asleep faster and to enhance their sleep quality. Following a user-centered design process, Somnia was prototyped and evaluated. Qualitative feedback after a two-week user study showed that Somnia succeeded in providing a sense of connectedness between partners when sleeping remotely. This sense of connectedness might lead to a more pleasant sleeping experience. Based on our findings, we recommend designers of sleep related technologies to (a) incorporate the social aspects of sleep in their designs and (b) to focus on emotional arguments rather than rational arguments to influence sleeping habits.
remote couples sleep enhancement social connectedness