- The following is content from the press release -
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (President and CEO: Naoki Shibuya) and NTT DX Partners, Inc. (President and CEO: Takashi Abe, hereinafter referred to as NTT DXPN), together with Nippon Publishing Sales Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Nippan), Nippon Television Holdings, Inc. (hereinafter "Brain Sleep"), as a new co-creation project in the Sleep Network Hub "ZAKONE (hereinafter "ZAKONE"). The book will be available on the audiobook distribution service audiobook.jp on December 1, 2024 (Sunday).
Background and Objectives
One of the key challenges facing today's child-rearing households is the issue of children's sleep. Many families have problems with putting their children to sleep, nighttime crying, late bedtimes, etc. In particular, many families spend long hours putting their children to bed before bedtime, which is a burden on both parents and children.
In response to these issues, ZAKONE has decided to develop a new solution to the problem of putting children to sleep through co-creation that leverages the strengths of the participating companies.
2. service overview
Oyasumi Bookstore Mimimin" is an audio content service that parents and children can listen to before bedtime to support children's bedtime routines.
It has the following main characteristics
(1) Verification summary and results
The purpose of this verification was to study the effects of listening to "Mimimin" before bedtime on children's sleep, using the following methods.
Verification Summary
- Subjects: 21 healthy boys and girls aged 2-6 years old (10 of whom are children who are read to on a regular basis*1)
- Test method: A crossover test comparing sleep when listening to "Mimimin" and "general read-aloud" sound sources on the same subject*2 for 3 days each before bedtime.
- Measurements: Activity meter as an objective indicator, OSA Sleep Questionnaire (MA version)*3 to be answered by parents as a subjective indicator
*1 15 children who are usually read to at least 3 days a week, of which 10 have valid data.
*2 Kitahara Hakushu's translation of "Mazaa Gusu
*3A method of sleep evaluation that statistically scales the day's sleep sensation.
Verification Results
It was suggested that the "Mimimin" sound source took less time to fall asleep.
In this verification, the activity meter results confirmed a trend that the "Mimimin" sound tends to shorten the time it takes to fall asleep by approximately 7 minutes for children who are read to on a regular basis. The results showed that switching from "general reading to children" to "Mimimin" had a positive effect on children's sleep.
Verification Consideration
It was confirmed that listening to the "Mimimin" sound source before bedtime tended to shorten the time it took to fall asleep compared to the "general read-aloud" sound source. In preliminary tests conducted prior to this verification, children's brain waves were measured while listening to each sound source, and alpha waves (brain waves that predominantly occur during relaxation) appeared more frequently with the "Mimimin" sound source, suggesting that the "Mimimin" sound source itself relaxes children and has a hypnotic effect on them. This result suggests that the "Mimimin" sound itself relaxes the children and has a hypnotic effect on them. Brain Sleep believes that "Mimimin" will help parents who are burdened with the task of putting their children to sleep.
(2) Specialists in reading aloud to children use the "read-aloud" method.
The content distributed through "Oyasumi Bookstore Mimimin" is recorded using a sleep induction method based on quantitative analysis of the five elements of voice (intensity, inflection, pitch, pause, and tone) and an optimal reading pattern that encourages children to fall asleep. The reading is performed by specialists in the field of storytelling, led by Sachie Sugigami, a former announcer for Nippon Television Network Corporation and a picture book specialist who has performed many storytelling activities. During the development phase, we verified the effect of reading aloud to preschool children on their sleep, and found that children who had the habit of reading aloud to their parents fell asleep approximately 7 minutes faster.
(3) Selected picture books perfect for before bedtime
The contents to be distributed are carefully selected picture books with stories suitable for bedtime reading with parents and children. The first batch of content to be distributed includes two picture books on the theme of "Children's Adventure", "To Buy Gloves" (Nankichi Niimi) and "Oka no Ie" (Miekichi Suzuki), and two on the theme of "The Place of Warmth", "Yoru" (Yumeji Takehisa) and "Umi no Hanashi" (Motoori Yamamura). The four works are "Night" (Takehisa Yumeji) and "A Tale of the Sea" (Yamamura Motoori), two works on the theme of a "place of warmth". We plan to add two new works every week to the series to deliver the beautiful Japanese sounds and sonorities of these classic masterpieces, and at the same time, to accompany the feelings of parents and children who wish for a healthy future and welcome tomorrow with a warm heart. (President: Hiroya Kubota), and will be distributed on audiobook.jp, an audiobook distribution service operated by Studio Otobank.
Role of each company
This initiative was developed through the co-creation of the SleepTech business of the NTT East Group, which operates ZAKONE, and four ZAKONE member companies: Nippan, NTVHD, and Brain Sleep.
project team
Planning and development: NTT East/NTT DXPN, Nippan, NTVHD, Brain Sleep
Cooperation: AI Corporation, CyberneX Corporation, Infant Sleep Consultant Aya Ainami, Otobank Corporation, Connell Inc.
4. future plans
Oyasumi Shoten Mimimin" plans to add and distribute audio picture books through Otobank. In addition, the company plans to provide content to daycare facilities and hold storytelling events for children to help solve children's sleep issues.
ZAKONE will continue to promote activities aimed at solving the problem of sleep, a major social issue in Japan that cannot be solved by a single company, through collaboration among companies from different industries.
Detailed event information will be posted on ZAKONE's official website and official SNS as needed.
Sleep Network Hub ZAKONE
Official website:https://zakone.jp/
Official Twitter:https://twitter.com/zakoneforpeace
Official Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/zakonesleep/
Official NOTE:https://note.com/zakone/
5. reference information Sleep Network Hub ZAKONE
Sleep Network Hub ZAKONE
Sleep Network Hub "ZAKONE" is a virtual community where various companies collaborate to create new businesses, develop services, and plan events that contribute to improving sleep in order to solve Japan's sleep issues.
Official site:https://zakone.jp
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (Sleep data acquisition/examination of measurement methods)
NTT DX Partner Corporation (analysis of acquired data, etc.)
SleepTech Business Overview: We are developing business support businesses for companies and municipalities based on "sleep" by collecting and verifying sleep data for corporate activities and health promotion, utilizing the data in product development, and providing sleep quality diagnosis and improvement services.
Sleep Tech Business:https://business.ntt-east.co.jp/content/sleeptech/
Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Co.
Since its establishment in 1949, Nihon Shuppan Hanbai has built the infrastructure for publishing distribution in Japan through the distribution of books and magazines. In recent years, the company has not only taken on the distribution of stationery and miscellaneous goods, but also developed original stationery and miscellaneous goods, produced cultural places, and so on, in order to bring richness to the hearts of all people through various goods and activities connected with books. We continue to deliver value by transforming ourselves as a company and as a distributor in response to various changes.
NTV Holdings R&D Co-Creation Lab.
The program will start in 2023, when NTV celebrates its 70th anniversary. It is a co-creation mechanism to create "an exciting future for everyone" by responding to various social issues together with our customers and creating the value of experiences for the next era.
The Nittele Co-Creation Lab is working on five co-creation themes: entertainment experiences for consumers' near-future "town" and "home," contributions to "future society" and "future generations," and "space," and is looking for partner companies.
Official Web site:https://lab.ntv.co.jp/
Brain Sleep Inc.
Brain Sleep is a solutions company that combines solid knowledge based on sleep medicine with advanced technology to provide solutions for the science of the brain and sleep.
We aim to awaken the potential of people and society through all kinds of sleep-specific solutions, including sleep research in collaboration with experts, original product development, and consulting for companies and clinics.
For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact
Sleep Tech Business Team, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation and NTT DX Partners, Inc.
Email: ps-healthcare-ml@east.ntt.co.jp
