Innovative Dad Develops Game-Changing App to Banish Bedtime Fears, Launching This World Sleep Day
In 2021, British father Anthony Gay never anticipated that his creation, ‘Monster Guard‘ – an Amazon Alexa Skill designed to alleviate his daughter’s fear of nocturnal monsters, would captivate over 60,000 users. Fast forward three years, Anthony, alongside his company ReelWorld, has evolved his ingenious concept into a mobile application aimed at alleviating bedtime anxieties for children worldwide. Now available on both iOS and Android platforms, this complimentary app promises to transform nighttime routines, offering peace of mind to children and a well-deserved break for parents.
The mobile version of Monster Guard expands on the original’s capabilities, transitioning from an audio-only format to a visually captivating and immersive experience. Utilising augmented reality, the app conducts a ‘scan’ of children’s bedrooms for monsters, subsequently activating a ‘sonic forcefield’ to maintain a monster-free zone. (Parents can rest easy knowing that no monsters are ever actually detected.)
Moreover, the app boasts a collection of soothing sleep sounds, enchanting bedtime stories, and calming meditations. A standout feature is its compatibility with Philips Hue light bulbs, which enhance the scanning process with pulsating, colour-changing effects, ultimately settling into a calming, magical nightlight setting.
Watch the demo video HERE
Anthony shares his insights on the evolution of Monster Guard into a 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, elucidates on the app’s innovative approach: “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.”
Available for free on Apple devices and for $0.99 on Android, Monster Guard is now accessible to families in North America and the UK.