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The contest, named "Mat Race," was held on Monday, organized by a company specializing in sleep accessories, with the participation of people who called themselves "sleeping professionals."
Participants lay on comfortable mattresses in dimly lit environments, wearing sleep monitoring devices, while some brought along beloved dolls and toys to help them relax. The instructions were to sleep for no more than 90 minutes, with a prize for the winner worth over 2 million yen, approximately $12,645.
Ricchiro Nakama, the creative director at "Kuala Sleep Japan," the event organizer, told Agence France-Presse that Japan is often described as a country suffering from a lack of sleep due to its prevailing work culture and diligence.
He added that organizing such an event may encourage people to pay attention to sleep and contribute to raising awareness of its importance for health and daily life.
The contest comes at a time when Japan is facing challenges related to sleep deprivation, as data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for 2021 showed that the average daily sleep among Japanese people was 7 hours and 24 minutes, the lowest among member countries of the organization at the time.
Experts link this phenomenon to several factors, most notably long working hours, stressful commuting periods, and nightlife patterns, which may reduce the time available for rest.
Thus, the contest was not only about competing for a financial prize but also sought to highlight the importance of sleep in a society often seen as a model of continuous work and productivity.
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