The first method conducted was a feedback diary study method to provide us with longitudinal data on how the sleeping habits of college students evolve over time, especially given the variability day-by-day for students depending on their schedule and current circumstances. Pre-study surveys were conducted to by grouping participants based on their background in order to analyze patterns in lifestyles, sleep practices, and more in relation to sleep quality.

Conduction of post-study interviews allowed us to identify what specific sleep practices were optimal for improving sleep quality as well as recognizing what academic, social, and professional commitments affected sleep quality and duration.

The second method of study conducted was in the form of a Co-Design Study, a participatory study method that involves engagement with participants in designing a product/service. Collaboration with participants ensures the that designs are inclusive and take into consideration the experiences and perspectives of the individuals that we are designing for. In this case, we wanted to ensure that the college students that are directly affected by this issue are involved in the design process so that the designs that we create in the end are more relevant and meaningful to them.

Our user group consisted of college students from a variety of different backgrounds (majors, ages, genders, ethnicities, etc). We gathered seven participants, two of which were participants from the Method I diary study.

Our procedure for the Co-Design Study method is as follows:

The first screen users stumble upon is the Home screen, where users will be prompted to begin their Bed Routine, a program that quickly allows users to set audio recordings to be listened to during sleep, change and set the temperature of the room, and dim or brighten or alter color of lights in the room prior to falling asleep.

The alarm section allows users to set both alarms to alert the user when to sleep and when to wake up. The features offered on this screen allow for a complete personalized alarm system that the user may turn on or off on their on accord.

Many of our participants cited sound as a major factor in their ability to fall asleep as well as remaining asleep! Even in the Co-Design activities, most of our participants ideated audio-related solutions to help them fall asleep. An audio management function allows users to create their ideal environment ambience!

As lighting is one of the most significant factors in cultivating a strong ambience in any environment, a light management section would allow users to directly control all aspects of lighting all in one space to create their dream sleep environment!

Implementing a virtual thermostat allows users to directly set the temperature of their sleeping environment to their liking by tweaking the settings of their Bluetooth connected HVAC (heat, ventilation, and air conditioning) devices. In addition, as device usage would depend heavily on outdoors temperature, allowing users to see outside temperature would promote ease of use and efficiency.

As a majority of our research responses cited that students typically spent extensive periods of time on electronic devices prior to sleep, implementing a Tech Lockdown function will accommodate for technology usage. Electronic devices emit blue light, which suppresses release of melatonin, inhibiting attainment of quality sleep. Reducing device usage will allow for users to fall asleep easier.

A Stats Section allows records users’ sleep practices, duration, and quality. Utilizing this information, recommendations are suggested to the user to prompt them to improve sleep habits to attain better overall sleep quality.

A personalized approach is necessary to address the issue of students being unable to obtain good and consistent sleep quality as different factors affect individuals' sleep quality. Among the factors identified are the negative impact of students' frequent use of electronics before bed, the influence of the sleep environment on sleep quality, the role of physical activity in helping students fall asleep faster, and the impact of academic stressors on emotional feelings before bed. Additionally, both academic and social life act as barriers to improving sleep. These findings provide valuable insights for the HCI research and design community, emphasizing the need for personalized interventions that take into account the individualized nature of sleep quality and the various factors that influence it. By designing and developing technology that supports and enhances the personalized approach, HCI researchers and designers can contribute to improving the sleep quality of students.