In diligent, exhausted Japan, self-described elite “competitive sleepers” vied to lie down, relax and nap the fastest and deepest in a contest organized by a mattress company. The Tokyo competition, dubbed “Matt Race,“ saw dozens of participants fitted with sleep tracking devices sprawl on comfy mattresses to slumber for up to 90 minutes Monday, competing for the top prize of over ¥2 million ($14,000). Inside a dimly lit room, participants slept with monitors attached to their heads, some cradling stuffed toys in their beds.
OECD data showed in 2021 that Japanese people slept an average seven hours 24 minutes a day — the least of all OECD nations within the group — with experts citing long working and commuting hours and a busy nightlife economy as among contributing factors. I almost wish I could have slept a little longer,” participant Chisato Honda, 32, said. The winner was chosen based on how quickly and soundly they slept.
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