Forget running, swimming or sprinting Japan has found a competition where contestants are rewarded for doing absolutely nothing. Dozens of participants recently went head-to-head in a bizarre sleep contest, battling to fall asleep quickly and enjoy the deepest rest possible for a chance to win more than KSh1.8 million.
Highlights
- Contestants competed to fall asleep quickly and deeply.
- The unusual event was held in Tokyo and lasted up to 90 minutes.
- Participants wore sleep-monitoring devices while resting on mattresses.
- The winner took home more than two million Japanese yen.
- Organisers hope the event will encourage people to take sleep more seriously.
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Ready, Set, Sleep
While most competitions demand speed, strength or endurance, a unique contest in Japan rewarded participants for mastering the art of sleep.
The event, known as the “Matt Race,” brought together dozens of self-described competitive sleepers in Tokyo.
Participants were placed on comfortable mattresses and given up to 90 minutes to sleep while wearing devices that monitored their rest.
The ultimate goal was simple: fall asleep as quickly as possible and achieve high-quality, deep sleep.
The top performer walked away with a prize worth more than two million yen, approximately KSh1.8 million.
Turning Sleep Into a Competition
The contest was organised by mattress company Koala Sleep Japan as a creative way of drawing attention to Japan’s ongoing sleep problem.
Riichiro Nakama, the company’s creative director, said the event was inspired by the demanding lifestyle many people in Japan experience.
Participants rested in a dimly lit room, with sleep-monitoring equipment attached to their heads. Some even brought stuffed toys along for extra comfort.
Rather than treating sleep as something people squeeze into busy schedules, organisers wanted to make rest a shared experience and get more people talking about its importance.
Japan’s Sleep Problem
The unusual competition also highlights a more serious issue.
OECD figures from 2021 showed that people in Japan averaged around seven hours and 24 minutes of sleep per day the lowest average among the OECD countries covered by the data.
Long working hours, lengthy commutes and Japan’s vibrant nightlife have all been cited as factors contributing to the country’s sleep shortage.
For many participants, however, the competition offered a chance to simply switch off.
One contestant, 32-year-old Chisato Honda, said the experience seemed to pass almost instantly and joked that they wished they had been allowed to sleep longer.
A Princess Bed and a New Home
The competition’s winner, who goes by the nickname Suimii, earned the prize after impressing the judges with how quickly and soundly they fell asleep.
With the cash now in hand, the winner already has plans for the money.
Suimii said part of the prize would go towards moving into their own home. They also have another dream purchase in mind a bed fit for royalty.
For a contest built around sleeping, the prize seems to have delivered the perfect wake-up call: sometimes doing less can actually pay more.
If sleeping were an Olympic sport, would you be confident enough to put your napping skills to the test?
