Sleep

Dubbed “Matt Race,” the sleep competition held on Monday in Tokyo by a bedding company drew dozens of participants.

Clad with sensors measuring their sleep, they stretched out, some with their security blanket, in the dim light on comfortable mattresses with a simple instruction: sleep for a maximum of 90 minutes. At stake, more than two million yen (11,000 euros) for the best sleeper.

“Japan is often described as a country that lacks sleep, and the people here are very hardworking”, explained to AFP Riichiro Nakama, creative director at Koala Sleep Japan, organizer of the event. In organizing “an event like this, I think we can encourage people to sleep together and generate more interest in sleep”, he added.

Japan, one of the countries where people sleep the least

And the country probably needs it. According to OECD data from 2021, the Japanese slept on average 7 hours and 24 minutes per day, less than in any other OECD country. Experts point to long workdays, lengthy commutes, and a bustling nightlife.

“It went by very quickly. I almost would have liked to sleep a little longer”, said Chisato Honda, 32, to AFP. It’s “a competition that feels good”.

To determine the winner among these sleep pros, the organizers took into account how quickly they fell asleep and the quality of their sleep.

Upon waking, a pseudonym Suimii was declared the victor. “I wanted to get my own apartment, so I think I’ll use the money to move”, she said. “And I would also like to have a princess bed, so I think I’ll buy one.”