Education on sleep and insomnia perspective is important to promote sleep health and prevent insomnia. Insomnia is a common sleep problem in Hong Kong people. For example, the incidence and persistence rates of insomnia are 16% and 41%, respectively. Insomnia is associated with impaired quality of life and decreased economic productivity. It is also closely related to depression and other psychiatric problems, leading to substantial mental health burdens. Currently, the shortcomings in the delivery of face‐to‐face sleep education programs include limited availability, high cost, stigma, etc.

Given the high prevalence of insomnia and sleep problems in Hong Kong, digital tools which can create scalable interventions are of practical and imminent importance. The relatively low setup costs and barriers make digital interventions very cost-effective and popular worldwide and in Hong Kong. AI-powered chatbots are the next generation of technologies utilized in different industries for a better customer experience. The project will extend the frontier of current digital health services from didactic and informational content to interactive and intelligent conversational agents for sleep health education. Users can acquire education materials on sleep and insomnia through an interactive and conversational approach.

The project will explore the future direction, development, and recommendations of chatbot-based programs. The chatbot will demonstrate how machine learning techniques and natural language processing are employed to understand users’ intents and sentiments in a colloquial language. The translation of the program will promote the development of mental health chatbots in other countries and regions.

• Persons who are interested in sleep education 


• Researchers who are interested in digital mental health interventions

2022

Healthcare, Well-being