Help people sleep better (Over The Counter solutions)

Problem Statement:

This Ideation challenge is designed to help 6,5 billion adults that want to improve the quality of their sleep without the potential side effects of prescription pills. 
Sleeping well is critical for body, mental & emotional well-being, but to sleep properly we need psychological well-being first. This achieved, restoring balance and coping with physical and mental stress should be the way to sublime sleep. 

We are looking for solutions that help not only having a restoring sleep but to manage the phycological factors that burden people with the capacity to fall asleep. Solutions that maybe only common in your country and that can be shared with other parts of the world. 
 I represent a consultancy firm that is working for a European pharmaceutical company and in principle, if we get a feasible and marketable idea from this challenge it will be produced as an OTC (Over The Counter) product to be sold in pharmacies, herbs shops, and online.

A feasible and marketable idea would be a product recipe with a list of ingredients (we do not expect a chemical formula) that currently is neither part of our client's assortment nor in the market by a major pharmaceutical company.

At this point, we are not interested in technological solutions, such as an App. But, if on top of the recipe, you provide a sketch of an innovative delivery system (a way to administer the product different from pills) your chances of winning will increase.

Sleep Quality statistics:

• It’s estimated that in 2023 there will be 130 million total cases of acute insomnia worldwide.
• Over 37% of adults have trouble conciliating or maintaining sleep.
• 80% of global adults want to improve the quality of their sleep.
• Women are twice as likely to develop insomnia.
• The majority of adults (62%) say they sleep somewhat/not at all well.
• 50% of worldwide adults continue to recognize sleep has a major impact on their overall health and wellbeing compared to diet (41%) and exercise (40%).
• More than 4 in 10 say their sleep has gotten worse in the past 5 years.
• 37.9% of people reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day or at work in the last 30 days

And COVID-19 has made thighs even worse. Sleep disturbances have affected a substantial proportion of the general population during the pandemic lockdown. These are significantly associated with a self-assessed impact on mental health, but may also be related to suspected COVID-19 status, changes in habits, and self-isolation.

Current Solutions

1. Melatonin based products 

2. Valerian root-based products 

3. Prescription drugs

Pain Points

Prescription drugs may lead to dependence.

Jane's Story:

While researching for this project I stumbled into the blog of Jane Brown (name changed to protect her identity) where she described in vivid detail her Covid-related insomnia nightmare. I want to share her story that deeply affected me and it was a strong motivation to actively engage in this challenge.

Jane is 34 years old, she’s been married to Bob (39 yrs) for 6 years now. They have two beautiful daughters, ages 4 and 2. Jane is (was) a very healthy, successful, and happy person. Her marriage was going very well, her daughters were an endless source of joy, and her carrier was also going very well she was promoted to a Marketing Manager position in a multinational corporation in January 2020.

Jane has been a very driven person all her life, and early spring last year she was at the peak of her life. And then COVID 19 hit the world and destroyed hers.

When the restrictions started in late March 2020 she found herself stuck at home with a huge workload and two little girls to take care of (Bob is a factory manager and keeps on working on-site). She started this new challenge, as usual, with a positive attitude and a lot of energy. But the long work hours full of Zoom meetings and her daughters constantly demanding her attention, impacted her in a way she never expected: Jane started to have serious troubles sleeping. 

Jane was very conscious of what she consumed and was not interested at all in prescription sleeping pills, so she reached for help from a good friend of hers that is a behavioral therapist. Her friend recommended OTC sleeping aids; to avoid stimulants, heavy dinners, or naps (she laughed at this one); to start meditation, and to keep a journal. She even recommended Jane try Paradoxical Intention (a strategy that involves focusing on staying awake in bed instead of expecting to fall asleep). None of these remedies worked.

The sleeping deprivation led to a decline in her work quality and relationships. She was mad, jumpy, and had difficulties concentrating, she started to miss deadlines and having conflicts with her subordinates. The joyful, efficient, and creative Jane was gone. She had a warning from her boss that only fuelled her anxiety.

After several months of carrying this burden, Jane’s health started to deteriorate. She was tired all day, anxious, and started to feel depressed, and she even gained weight. Jane began to abuse wine and stronger stuff since, in her own words, “It helps me to sleep at least for a few hours”. Jane was in a vicious circle.

All this led to a deterioration of her marriage. She lacked the energy to engage with Bob and their daughters in a meaningful way. Not only they stopped having thoughtful conversations, eventually, but they also stopped having sex. 

Last December Jane and Bob had a huge fight. He told her that he didn’t recognize her anymore and that he “needed some alone time to think”. Bob left their house in early January. In only 11 months Jane's whole world collapsed.

This Ideation challenge is designed to help Jane and other 6,5 billion adults to get a nice restoring sleep.

HELP US HELP JANE.

Evaluation criteria:

A panel of experts will evaluate the ideas based on originality, and if you provide an innovative delivery system. 

Prize scheme

We will award the three best ideas with the following scheme:

1. $1,750 to the best idea.
2. $750 to second best.
3. $500 to third best.