Personal safety, designed for women, that actually works while you sleep.

What we do

• Silent alerts. Holding the home screen for 2 seconds sends an SMS (and optional email) with the user's live location to her pre-vetted trusted contacts. No sound, no flash, no audible confirmation that could tip off someone in the room.
• Sound and motion monitoring. The app can listen for unusual sound and motion while the user sleeps, but never automatically alerts on its own — every outbound message is the result of a deliberate manual action.
• Live location streaming. When an alert is active, the app sends location updates in the same SMS thread until the user manually cancels.
• Local-first privacy. Trusted contact lists, sound and motion data, and audio clips stay on the user's device. Cloud sync is optional, encrypted, and never shared with third parties.

What we don't do

• No marketing SMS, no promotional offers, no newsletters, no surveys.
• No automated drip messaging, no scheduled check-ins, no recurring messages.
• No selling, renting, or sharing of phone numbers, location, or any user data — by us, or by any third party we work with.
• No bulk lists, no leads, no purchased contact databases. Recipients are individually added by the user, one at a time.

How SMS opt-in works

Every recipient of a Sleep Well Lady SMS has been individually added by an app user as a "trusted contact" — typically a parent, partner, sibling, or close friend. Before any SMS is sent from our number, the app prompts the user to send a one-time introductory message to that contact from the user's own phone (not from our Twilio number) explaining the service. Both the intro message and every later alert message include Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Msg & data rates may apply.

Sample alert message

I need help — this is [Sender]. I can't talk safely right now. Please don't call or text my phone - it could put me in more danger and I may not be able to respond. Instead: - Come to the location below in person - Bring someone with you - a friend, neighbor, or someone you trust. Don't come alone if you can avoid it - Quietly reach anyone else I've told you to contact - Use your judgment about 911 Updated location may follow in this thread. Live location: https://maps.google.com/?q=37.7749,-122.4194 (±20m) Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Msg & data rates may apply.

Frequency and content

• Per recipient: typically less than 1 message per month. Most recipients go an entire year without receiving any message.
• Triggered only by user action: the only outbound SMS are (a) the user's manually-triggered safety alert, (b) location updates within the same alert thread, and (c) a one-time clearly-marked [TEST] message during in-app setup.

How it works (step by step)

1. Download. The user installs the Sleep Well Lady iOS app from Apple's App Store / TestFlight. The app is iOS-only at launch.
2. Setup. The user creates an account in the app and grants the permissions she chooses (microphone, motion, location). All permissions are explicit, separately requested, and revocable from the iPhone Settings app at any time.
3. Add trusted contacts. The user enters the name, phone number, and (optionally) email of 1–3 people she trusts. These are people she has personally selected — typically a parent, partner, sibling, or close friend.
4. Recipient opt-in. Before any SMS is sent from our Twilio number to a trusted contact, that contact is invited via a one-time intro SMS sent from the user's own phone (using iOS's native Messages app, not our number). The intro contains a link to /opt-in.html, a standalone consent page where the contact reviews the SMS terms in isolation and clicks "I agree to receive these SMS." This consent is not bundled with any Terms of Service or privacy policy.
5. Sleep mode. When the user is ready to sleep, she enables monitoring on the home screen. The app listens for unusual sound and motion locally on the device. None of this data is uploaded.
6. Manual silent alert. If the user feels unsafe, she holds the home screen for 2 seconds. The app sends a single SMS to each opted-in trusted contact with her live location and a pre-written message explaining what to do. The phone makes no audible or visible signal.
7. Live location. While the alert is active, location updates are sent in the same SMS thread until the user manually cancels.
8. Cancel. The user cancels the alert from the app at any time. A short cancellation message is sent to the same recipients so they know.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Sleep Well Lady for?

Women who want a safety net at night that does not depend on their ability to grab a phone, unlock it, and tap a button under stress. Common users include women with abusive partners, women who travel alone, women who live alone, college students in dorms, and anyone who has had a near-miss and doesn't want to feel that alone again.

Is this a 911 replacement?

No. Sleep Well Lady is a supplement to — not a replacement for — emergency services. If you are in immediate danger and able to call 911, do that first. The app exists for situations where a woman cannot speak, cannot reach her phone in a normal way, or cannot trust that traditional emergency response will reach her in time.

Who pays for this?

Sleep Well Lady is being run as a not-for-profit personal safety service operated by the founder. The app is free for users. Costs are covered by the founder's personal funding, with grant applications underway. There are no advertisements, no premium tiers, and no data sales.

Will my trusted contact know they were added?

Yes — explicitly. Before our toll-free number ever sends them an SMS, they receive an intro message from the user's own phone explaining the service and linking to a standalone consent page (sleepwelllady.com/opt-in.html) where they actively confirm they agree to receive future safety alerts. They can decline or reply STOP at any time.

What happens to my location data?

Location is only requested in the moment a user manually triggers an alert. It is included in the alert SMS and not retained, sold, or shared with anyone other than the trusted contacts the user has chosen. Location is never tracked passively in the background. iOS prompts the user to authorize location access "While Using the App" — never "Always."

What happens if I'm a recipient and I want to stop receiving alerts?

Reply STOP to any SMS from our toll-free number — Twilio's standard handling will permanently block further messages to that number. You can also email support@sleepwelllady.com directly, or ask the user who added you to remove you from her contacts.

Where are you based?

Sleep Well Lady is operated by Katie Dickieson, an independent solo founder based in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.

Compliance and policies

We comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, and U.S. carrier toll-free verification requirements. Recipient SMS consent is collected as a standalone agreement on a dedicated opt-in page, separate from any Terms of Service or Privacy Policy.

Contact