Why Insomnia?

Our team chose insomnia mainly because it is a diverse illness that has many variations. We sought to choose a topic that was diverse in how it manifested in a person's life, and we were particularly interested in health issues that affect patients. As a team of mostly HINF students, it felt natural to choose a topic rooted in healthcare; More importantly though, our central studies involve a focus on the implications that health technology may have on patient care. Therefore, our team agreed that this topic was a great chance to explore a disorder as opposed to technology that might be used to solve it. Insomnia is a broad illness and has plenty of room to explore differing symptoms and research treatments. Furthermore, the depth of insomnia as a topic might lead to a better understanding of what kind of learning resource might be most beneficial for those affected by this disorder.

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder, and is therefore difficult to categorize. The intended audience for this information may span across a wide variety of demographics including age, sex, education, income, etc. However, the intended purpose of this resource is to provide information to two main groups of people: Patients and Acquaintances. Patients are the priority audience that this resource intends to reach, as they will ideally use this information to identify the effects of insomnia on their life and potential treatment methods. Acquaintances include family members and friends that may be on a need to know basis, as they may feel an obligation to help the patient find ways to manage the effects of this sleep disorder.