1. Txt2Calm: a Pilot to
Decrease Stress
through Sleeping
Frank Chen
Stanford University
Txt2Calm: Insights a Sleep Study 1

2. 2
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

3. 3
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

4. 4
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

5. 5
Find out more?
 Research : www.designmindfulness.com
 Twitter : @frankc / #CalmingTech
 Personal : www.frankc.net
Txt2Calm: Insights a Sleep Study