In a bid to conquer bedtime fears, British father Anthony Gay could hardly have predicted the overwhelming success of ‘Monster Guard‘, an Amazon Alexa Skill he developed in 2021 to comfort his six-year-old daughter. Surpassing 60,000 users, Anthony, in collaboration with his audio company ReelWorld, has now taken a significant leap by adapting ‘Monster Guard’ into a mobile app. This innovation, available for both iOS and Android users, is designed to alleviate the fears of children at bedtime, thereby offering parents a much-needed respite.
Elevating the user experience from the original Alexa Skill, the mobile app version of ‘Monster Guard’ combines stunning visuals with immersive augmented reality technology. It performs a meticulous ‘scan’ of children’s bedrooms for any signs of monsters, subsequently deploying a ‘sonic forcefield’ to ensure the room remains a safe haven. (Parents can breathe a sigh of relief as the app is programmed never to find any actual monsters.)
The app is enriched with a selection of features aimed at promoting a tranquil sleep environment, including a compilation of soothing sleep sounds, captivating bedtime stories, and relaxing meditations. An exciting integration with Philips Hue light bulbs offers an interactive element, with lights that dynamically change colour during the scanning process, then gently transition to a soothing nightlight mode.
Watch the demo video HERE
Anthony reflects on the journey from Alexa Skill to mobile app: “When we launched Monster Guard on Amazon Alexa two and a half years ago, we quickly realised we were onto something special. We were seeing hundreds, sometimes thousands of downloads a week and the 6-week user retention rate was in excess of 35%! To put that in context, the average retention rate for an Amazon Alexa skill is just 3% after only one week. We saw great potential in the concept regarding expansion and functionality, but we were frustrated by the limitations of the smart speaker platform. In order to fully realise our vision for Monster Guard, we decided to adapt it into an app. And, to ensure the end product would offer maximum value to users, we also partnered with renowned Child Sleep Trainer Lucy Shrimpton, Founder of ‘Sleep Nanny.’ We are so excited to share this new Monster Guard experience with tired parents and their children. The difference the Monster Guard skill made with my own children was incredible and I can’t wait for others to enjoy the benefits for themselves.”
Lucy Shrimpton, Sleep Trainer, discusses the app’s philosophy: “The Monster Guard ‘forcefield’ might not be real, but the reassurance it provides most definitely is! Some parents might argue that it seems counterintuitive to use an app that appears to validate a child’s fears, but there is real value in the Monster Guard Method. We tell our children Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny are all real, so it makes sense they then have difficulty believing monsters aren’t, despite our repeated reassurances. Rather than deny the existence of Monsters, when it comes to tackling teraphobia, Monster Guard takes a different approach, and it does so in two ways. Firstly, by empowering the child and enabling them to take control of their fear, and secondly by working to change their perception of Monsters. This is where the character ‘Monty’ comes in. With his heart-warming backstory, friendly, reassuring tone, and bedtime tales, Monty is the soul of the experience, a guardian-type character there to teach children that monsters aren’t so scary after all. They are just furry and friendly creatures like himself. I truly believe this app could be a game changer for parents desperately searching for a solution to help their kids settle to sleep scare-free.”
Monster Guard is now available for free on Apple devices and for $0.99 on Android, serving families in North America and the UK.
