Sleep quality profoundly influences physical and mental well-being, yet it is frequently neglected in health discussions despite its pivotal role in these domains. This thesis utilizes Autoethnography, incorporating Mixed Method - Quantified Self-Tracking and Journaling methods to collect data and critically understand my sleep, lifestyle, and sleep environment. Sleep-tracking apps provide valuable data on our sleep, but interpreting this data can often be challenging. A sleep application utilizes mobile phone sensors and advises us to keep our phone close to the body, which may increase screen interaction and impact our quality of sleep. Sleep is complex, and many factors of our physical and mental health are interlinked. This thesis suggests tangible approaches to visualize personal data from sleep apps and journaling. Through the exploration of my own data, I experimented with different tangible representations, turning abstract information into touchable objects, aiming to foster a serene user experience by reducing reliance on screens. This research contributes to the fields of data visualization, tangible interface, and health design showcasing the potential of tangible visualization in promoting the understanding of sleep patterns.
Keywords: Tangible Representation, Sleep Environment, User Experience, Data Humanism, Data Visualization, Digital Fabrication, Quantified Self, Self-tracking