fit2sleep

initial home page
apps that can be added to the app blocker
Start exercising page

Inspiration & What it does

We set out to address the problem of late-night doom scrolling, which often disrupts healthy sleep patterns. Our idea was to build an app blocker that helps users manage screen time without being either too restrictive or too permissive, allowing them to adjust gradually. To discourage unnecessary extensions of screen time, our solution requires users to complete a short exercise before unlocking more usage—striking a middle ground between discipline and flexibility. This not only adds friction to the habit of scrolling, but also helps users feel physically tired, promoting better sleep.

How we built it

We used Android Studio to develop the application and make use of Android's in-built phone sensors like the accelerometer.

Challenges we ran into

Throughout the hackathon, we encountered challenges on both hardware and software fronts. On the hardware side, we experimented with the ESP32 and sensors but struggled to obtain meaningful readings. On the software side, implementing the blocking mechanism itself proved to be a significant hurdle. Despite these setbacks, the experience taught us valuable lessons about user-centered design, hardware-software integration, and finding practical trade-offs between usability and effectiveness.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We were able to block other applications!! We also figured out how to use the in-built phone sensors to detect jumps and quick movements which was a new and novel experience.

What we learned

We learned that working with hardware is much more difficult than we thought as we struggled to get meaningful data from the sensors and ESP32 despite an entire day's worth of exploring and trying to make it work. The main takeaway was to prioritize what should be done and to set deadlines for ourselves during this short period of time so that we can deliver a decently working prototype as a proof of concept of our idea.

What's next for fit2sleep

We plan to implement a greater variety of exercises and to improve the accuracy of the application. We also hope to look into anti-cheat features so that users will not be able to circumvent the app blocker.