PRODUCT PRESENTATION
OZEN HAPPYOURS - Ashley Xiang, Christine Park, Aleena Li
BACKGROUND:
THE PROBLEM
62% OF YOUNG ADULTS HAVE POOR SLEEP QUALITY Study by Sleep Health (2019) A study published in the journal Sleep Health found that among young adults aged 18-25, 62% reported poor sleep quality, and 27% reported insufficient sleep duration. Stress was identified as one of the primary contributors to poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep. (Source: Grandner, M. A., Jackson, N. J., Gerstner, J. R., & Knutson, K. L. (2019). Sleep symptoms associated with intake of specific dietary nutrients. Journal of sleep research, 28(6), e12836.
STRESS + SLEEP Activates the body's fight or flight response, releasing hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that keep us alert and awake. Can disrupt the natural sleep cycle, leading to frequent awakenings and lighter sleep. Chronic stress can lead to insomnia and other sleep disorders.
RESEARCH:
HELPFUL PRACTICES
PATTERNED BREATHING Patterned breathing techniques have been shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. Helps establish a calming bedtime routine, signaling to the body that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. Consistent use of patterned breathing techniques can improve overall sleep quality and reduce susceptibility to sleep disorders.
3-7-8 TECHNIQUE: 1. Find a comfortable seated or lying position, and take a few deep breaths to settle in. 2. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of 3 seconds. 3. Hold your breath for a count of 7 seconds. 4. Exhale slowly and fully through your mouth for a count of 8 seconds, making a gentle whooshing sound as you breathe out. 5. Repeat this cycle for a total of 4 breaths to start, gradually increasing to 8 or more as you become more comfortable with the technique.
BRAINSTORMING:
IDEATION
DESIGN GOAL Our design aims to create a multi-purpose device meant to calm the user, promote better sleep quality, and reduce anxiety through a combination of activities such as breathing techniques and creative engagement.
PER TECHNIQUES Habitualizing Positive Rituals Creating a Savoring Atmosphere Being Immersed and Absorbed Altering Bodily Engagement
Create regular habits to promote positive emotions and behavior Identifying activities that improve well-being and adding them to your routine Helps to counteract negative emotions such as stress caused by work or school May be helpful to reflect on current routine and its effect on well-being; identify areas where you could include more positive rituals Problem: feeling anxious before bed or stressed after a long day Status Quo: scrolls through social media before bed: overstimulated Positive Ritual Technique: make it a habit to instead engage in a calming activity or exercise to promote better sleep
HABITUALIZING POSITIVE RITUALS
Create atmospheres that promote intentional and conscious enjoyment Can involve enhancing existing spaces or adding elements to promote savoring Helps to counteract negative emotions such as stress caused by work or school Problem: feeling anxious before bed or stressed after a long day Status Quo: scrolls through social media before bed: overstimulated Creating Savoring Atmospheres Technique: add or alter an element of the atmosphere to promote deliberate and intentional enjoyment
CREATING SAVORING ATMOSPHERES
Create immersive and interactive experiences that improve users' well-being Push users to be in the present Can be an element added to a physical space, and activity, or both Helps to counteract negative emotions such as stress caused by work or school Problem: feeling anxious before bed or stressed after a long day Status Quo: scrolls through social media before bed: overstimulated Being Immersed Technique: create an interactive experience that allows the user to be absorbed through sensory engagement, moving them away from stressful thoughts
BEING IMMERSED AND ABSORBED
Incorporating intentional movement as a method to reduce stress Does not necessarily have to be a dynamic or intense form of movement Reallocates energy from being used on thoughts (stress/anxiety) to physical movement Helps to counteract negative emotions such as stress caused by work or school Problem: feeling anxious before bed or stressed after a long day Status Quo: scrolls through social media before bed: overstimulated Being Immersed Technique: create an interactive experience that incorporates intentional bodily engagement instead of passive digital experiences
ALTERING BODILY ENGAGEMENT
PRODUCT SKETCHES Relaxing and comfortable environment for users before bedtime, without relying on electronic devices PER techniques (Progressive Relaxation) Lotus flower mimics breathing petals that fold in and out LED lights that fade Interactive element for users to stay creative or de-stress
MOODBOARD
GROUP ACTIVITY
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH:
AUTOETHNOGRAPHY
MINI RESEARCH PLAN Ashley Xiang & Christine Park Practice Breathing Patterns For a week and a half, spend the first part sleeping like normal (without regulation) and no breathing exercises. Practice the 3-7-8 breathing pattern in the later half of 10 days and record sleep results.
Write Thoughts Additionally, write quick notes and thoughts every day about the experience.
Rate Sleep and Calmness Every morning, rate the sleep of last night and rate the calmness/anxiety levels right before the sleep. Calmness scale (1-5): Stressed, slightly stressed, neutral, slightly relaxed, calm and relaxed Quality of sleep (1-5): Bad sleep quality, less bad, neutral, better sleep, best sleep quality
Calmness Rating
Sleep Rating
Notes
Day 1:
3
3
Felt like normal sleep, kind of tired
Day 2:
2
2
Very tired, cranky in the morning
Day 3:
3
4
Got extra sleep today, takes a while to get up but feeling better than yesterday
Day 4:
3
3
Nothing abnormal, would like more sleep
Day 5:
3
2
Very tired, did not get as many hours of sleep
3
First time trying the exercise, definitely fell asleep faster, sleep felt pretty normal
Ashley Xiang
Day 6:
4
Day 7:
5
4
Felt really calm and peaceful before bed, was stressed about final projects
Day 8:
5
5
Sleep quality was the best, rested well
Day 9:
4
3
Sleep was normal, didn't get many hours
2
Didn't sleep enough because of work, breathing helped but was still neutral calmness
Day 10:
3
THOUGHTS AND TAKEAWAYS Ashley Xiang Insights Calmness Rating Average (Control)
Calmness Rating Average (Ozen)
2.8
4.2
Sleep Rating Average (Control)
Sleep Rating Average (Ozen)
2.8
3.4
Overall, using a breathing technique had a bigger impact on feeling calm before sleep. Sleep rating had a less bigger impact, due to lack of sleep most likely Indicated in notes Felt a difference in calmness (notes)
Important Things to Note I generally fall asleep quickly and don't have sleep problems under 10-15 minutes. My sleep may depend of the activities of the day or tiredness levels.
Calmness Rating
Sleep Rating
Notes
Day 1:
2
2
Very stressed out about work before sleep
Day 2:
3
1
Had coffee, could not sleep much
Day 3:
2
3
Exhausted from work, slept for a while but kept waking up in the middle
Day 4:
2
2
Tired, had to wake up early, felt drowsy the entire day
3
Could not sleep much due to insomnia, was on the phone for 4 hours before sleep
Christine Park
Day 5:
2
Day 6:
3
3
First time trying the breathing exercise, didn’t see much difference in the time it took to fall asleep, slept okay
Day 7:
4
4
Felt like I was falling asleep faster and in a calmer state
Day 8:
5
4
Woke up feeling refreshed
Day 9:
5
4
Everything feels okay, also had no coffee
Day 10:
5
4
Same as last night
THOUGHTS AND TAKEAWAYS Christine Park Insights Calmness Rating Average (Control)
Calmness Rating Average (Ozen)
2.2
4.4
Sleep Rating Average (Control)
Sleep Rating Average (Ozen)
2.2
3.8
In general, the breathing technique increased both the calmness and sleep quality rating (positive impact). However, the stress level and sleep quality rating were also quite dependent on the workload and caffeine intake (as indicated in the notes).
Important Things to Note I struggle with minor insomnia, often worsened by drinking coffee or anything caffeinated. My sleep quality usually depends on my workload, how many cups of coffee I drink, and my stress levels due to work.
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH:
AUTOETHNOGRAPHY W/PRODUCT
Experiment and journal utilizing the product All 6 days were using the product
Calmness Rating
Ashley Xiang
Day 1:
3
Sleep Rating
Notes
4
Felt more neutral using the device, sleep felt nice because had more hours than usual
Day 2:
4
5
Slept a long time because finally no classes, the breathing exercise helped me fall asleep faster
Day 3:
3
3
Breathing and calmness were more neutral, sleep was fine as well
Day 4:
5
4
Felt especially calm, slept relatively well
3
Had trouble falling asleep today for some reason, usually doesn't happen but the breathing didn't help too much. I also had to wake up at an earlier time.
3
Felt calm after yesterday's breathing exercise, slept at a better time than yesterday
Day 5:
Day 6:
2 4
COMPARISON WITH AND WITHOUT DEVICE Ashley Xiang
Calmness Rating Average (Control)
2.8 Sleep Rating Average (Control)
2.8
Insights
Calmness Rating Calmness Rating Average (5 days and Average (with without devicel) Ozen, 6 days)
4.2
3.5
Sleep Rating Average (Control)
Sleep Rating Average (Ozen)
3.4
3.6
Utilizing the lotus and Ozen product, there was a lesser impact on calmness. There is still an improvement from the control of not doing anything before bed May be due to the fact that closing your eyes helps with calming you down Sleep rating actually went slightly up but not too big of a difference Having the light may be good for users who don't like sound and need something to go off of for the 37-8 breathing technique
Important Things to Note I slept a lot more because classes were over (possibly why sleep rating is slightly higher) Previous experiments were 5 days in comparison to 6 days this time
HOW TO
DEMO VIDEO
BUILDING:
PROTOTYPE
PROTOTYPE PHOTOS
PROTOTYPE COMPONENTS
Arduino Mega + Breadboard
4 pin RGB LED pin
LCD Display
2 Buttons
Many Wires...
PROTOTYPE DIAGRAM Button 2
Button 1
GND VCC SDA SCL
PROTOTYPE CODE https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r-C4W5RhQAT1vm7ybzLSGbuwE9MS0PNpxiLENk27EjU/edit?usp=sharing
ZEN GARDEN PROMPTS There are currently only 4 prompts implemented in the actual prototype but we also generated a lot more possible prompts Create a connected rounded square design Create a complex triangle Intersect two perfect hexagons Create a symmetrical long path Create perfect dots Create waves Intersect three circles and create a pattern Create how the ocean feels Generate a mountain Create a fan pattern Create a design around the pond Completely cover the board Smooth over the sand
FINALIZING:
PRODUCT
Lotus Light: Glows in and out to mimic and guide breathing pattern 3-7-8 breathing technique
Interactive Sand Garden: Generated mini-prompts to help gently stimulate creativity and promote calmness before bed
Peaceful, aesthetic
Serene, calm
ENDING:
FINAL THOUGHTS
KEY TAKEAWAYS What we would improve Adding more breathing patterns Figuring out the off button (problem with delay/simultaneous actions) More research that is more intensive and detailed Considerations Is this product something that is mobile or transportable? Or is it meant to be strictly stationary? Create more methods of incentivizing routine use Potential Future Additions Phone holder: user has a place to set their mobile device while they are engaging in the activity or breathing exercise Eliminates distractions After doing the post-experiment, I would add some sound queues for people who prefer to close their eyes directly while doing the exercise, it may be more effective for those people
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR PRODUCTS AND DESIGN PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE WEEMS Visit blogs.cornell.edu/happyours