Dozzz: Exploring the Feasibility of a Voice-Based Sleep Diary for Children

Sleep problems can impact many children’s wellbeing and development adversely. Treating clinicians often rely on parents to record their child’s sleep behaviors and experiences in specialized diaries. Earlier studies have aimed at empowering children to self-report their sleep experiences independently, thereby providing direct communication with clinicians and reducing parental bias. Digital diaries based on text entry or rating scales, may not be suitable for young children. We developed Dozzz, a voice-based sleep diary that enables children to interact with chatbot avatar to report their sleep experiences. In a within-subject experiment involving 35 children aged eight to twelve, Dozzz was compared to a text-based sleep diary. The results indicate that Dozzz enhances user experience and engagement, demonstrating the potential of a voice-based diary for children. Future research should examine sustained and independent use in daily life.