Smartphone widget to empower sleep-monitoring apps

New York: Researchers have developed an Android sleep monitoring app widget that will not only serve as a data capturing tool but also provide visual reminders of the user's activities and sleep patterns.

Called SleepTight, the widget would appear on the home screen - or lock screen -- of an Android phone to help users who forget to enter daily data.

Engagement with data is really important in increasing self-awareness. “The widget is not a full app, but it's a small window on the home screen where people can interact with the information and access the full app," said Eun Kyoung Choe, assistant professor of information sciences and technology at Pennsylvania State University in a statement.

The researchers found that participants who used the widget version of the app were more likely to enter daily sleep diary information into the app than those who did not use widgets. Sleep diary adherence was 92 percent for the participants who had the widgets installed on their app compared to 73 percent who used the app without the widget.

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