Imagine lying down for a nap and potentially walking away with ₹13.76 lakh. That is exactly what a mattress company in Japan is planning with an unusual sleep competition. The event will take place in Tokyo, Japan, on October 5, 2026, at Share Green Minami Aoyama. The winner will receive a cash prize of 2.22 million yen, which is approximately ₹13.76 lakh.
But participants will not simply be judged on how long they sleep. The competition will measure how quickly they fall asleep, how deeply they sleep and how stable their sleep remains during the session. Each participant will get 90 minutes to demonstrate their sleep quality. Organisers will use specialised tracking devices to monitor their sleep throughout the competition.
Before getting into bed, contestants will also have to complete certain exercises. They will then be given a randomly assigned sleep item for the competition. However, participants cannot use extreme methods to gain an advantage. They will not be allowed to stay awake all night or deliberately deprive themselves of sleep before the event.
The competition is meant to test natural sleep quality, so contestants will also be prohibited from using sleeping pills or medication to help them fall asleep. Organisers may even introduce unexpected disturbances during the sleeping sessions to see how contestants respond.
The winner will not be the only participant to receive recognition. The organisers will also hand out special awards for different sleeping achievements, including the Deep Sleep Dive Award and an award for contestants who manage to sleep in unusual positions.
Applications for the competition are free and were open until September 16. Around 20 contestants are expected to participate in each of the three sessions. The unusual event is also aimed at drawing attention to sleep deprivation in Japan and highlighting the importance of getting good-quality rest.
So, this may be one competition where the key to winning is simply being able to sleep really well!
