How can you design UIs that are inclusive to people with sleep disorders?

1 Understand the needs

The first step is to understand the needs and challenges of people with sleep disorders. You can do this by conducting user research, testing, and feedback. Some common sleep disorders are insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorders. Each of them can affect how people interact with web applications in different ways. For example, people with insomnia may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and may be more sensitive to bright light, noise, or stimulation. People with narcolepsy may experience excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden loss of muscle control, or hallucinations. People with restless legs syndrome may feel an urge to move their legs, especially at night, and may have trouble sitting still. People with circadian rhythm disorders may have a mismatch between their internal clock and the external environment, and may struggle to adjust to time zones, daylight saving, or shift work.

2 Use dark mode

One of the most effective ways to design UIs that are inclusive to people with sleep disorders is to use dark mode. Dark mode is a feature that allows users to switch the background color of a web application from light to dark, and vice versa. Dark mode can reduce eye strain, glare, and blue light exposure, which can interfere with melatonin production and sleep quality. Dark mode can also improve contrast, readability, and battery life. To implement dark mode, you can use CSS media queries, JavaScript, or frameworks like Bootstrap or Material UI. You should also provide users with an option to toggle between light and dark mode, and respect their system preferences.

3 Avoid animations and autoplay

Another way to design UIs that are inclusive to people with sleep disorders is to avoid animations and autoplay. Animations and autoplay are features that make web applications more dynamic and engaging, but they can also be distracting, annoying, or triggering for people with sleep disorders. Animations and autoplay can cause motion sickness, seizures, or anxiety, especially for people with narcolepsy or insomnia. They can also consume bandwidth, memory, and battery, which can affect performance and usability. To avoid animations and autoplay, you can use CSS or JavaScript to disable them, or provide users with an option to turn them off or on. You should also follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for creating accessible animations and media.

4 Use clear and simple language

A third way to design UIs that are inclusive to people with sleep disorders is to use clear and simple language. Language is an essential element of communication and comprehension, but it can also be a barrier or a source of confusion for people with sleep disorders. People with sleep disorders may have difficulty reading, writing, or understanding complex or ambiguous language, especially when they are tired, stressed, or impaired. They may also have different preferences, backgrounds, or cultures that affect how they interpret language. To use clear and simple language, you can follow the principles of plain language, such as using short sentences, active voice, common words, and consistent terms. You should also use headings, lists, images, and icons to break up text and convey meaning.

5 Provide feedback and support

A fourth way to design UIs that are inclusive to people with sleep disorders is to provide feedback and support. Feedback and support are features that help users to complete tasks, solve problems, or learn new information. They can also improve user satisfaction, trust, and loyalty. However, feedback and support can also be frustrating, overwhelming, or unhelpful for people with sleep disorders, especially if they are too frequent, too slow, too vague, or too intrusive. To provide feedback and support, you can use various methods, such as progress indicators, confirmation messages, error messages, tooltips, help buttons, or chatbots. You should also make sure that your feedback and support are timely, relevant, clear, and respectful.

6 Test and iterate

The final step is to test and iterate your UIs. Testing and iterating are processes that allow you to evaluate, improve, and validate your UIs based on user feedback, data, and standards. They can also help you to identify and fix any issues or gaps that may affect the inclusivity and accessibility of your UIs for people with sleep disorders. To test and iterate your UIs, you can use various tools and techniques, such as usability testing, user surveys, analytics, accessibility audits, or heuristic evaluation. You should also involve people with sleep disorders in your testing and iteration process, and listen to their needs, preferences, and suggestions.