Playing video games all night isn’t something that usually leads to a healthy sleep schedule.
But a new game with a nostalgic twist might just have the solution.
Just like the classic Tamagotchi toys from the 90s, Sleepagotchi tasks players with looking after a cute virtual pet, but with one important twist.
In Sleepagotchi, the only way to help your digital dinosaur grow is to get enough sleep each night.
Created by former Duolingo developer Anton Kraminkin, the app claims to ‘gamify’ users’ sleep schedules to help create healthier habits.
Now Sleepagotchi is offering one lucky player the chance to take on a literal ‘dream job’ by becoming a professional napper.
The chosen candidate will earn £37 ($50) an hour just to sleep while using the game as the public beta launches on March 20.
All the napper will need to do is sleep for 40 hours a week and test out how different lifestyle changes affect their sleep quality.
Just like the classic 90s toy, Tamagotchi (pictured), this new game requires players to sleep well in order to care for their virtual pet
Sleepagotchi is a game which promises to fix your sleep schedule by rewarding good night’s rest with upgrades for a digital dinosaur (pictured)
Sleepagotchi players record their nightly sleeping patterns using their phone or a wearable device like the Whoop or Oura Ring.
When the players wake up in the morning, they receive different awards based on how well they managed to rest.
Players can also add their own target bedtime and wake-up time and will receive extra benefits the closer they get to their own targets.
Mr Kraminkin told MailOnline: ‘It’s like Pokémon meets Animal Crossing meets Duolingo.
‘You collect sleep pets and send them on adventures, but they only grow stronger if you sleep well. If you don’t, they get… emotionally disappointed in you.’
To apply to become Sleepagotchi’s professional napper, all you need to do is follow this link and fill in the application form.
Applications are open now and will close on June 3; applicants must also be over 18 to apply.
The chosen sleeper will receive £1,500 ($2,000) along with a sleep mask, comfy pillow, and a bundle of other goodies to help them get the best sleep possible.
Sleepagotchi players use their phone or a wearable device to track their nightly sleep (right). By setting goals (left), players can receive additional awards by matching their sleep targets
The game’s developers say they think this app will encourage people to get more sleep by turning their rest into a game (stock image)
Sleepagotchi is currently only available as a program on the messaging app Telegram, rather than a standalone app on the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
While the full app will launch ‘sometime next week’, those early releases have already attracted tens of thousands of players in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the US.
Part of the app’s appeal may be that it offers a fun way of addressing what can be a serious issue for many people.
Although most people know that they should be getting about eight hours of sleep per night, the vast majority of people don’t come close.
Recent data collected by the University of British Columbia found that people in the UK get seven hours and 33 minutes of sleep on average, while Americans get just seven hours and two minutes.
But many people still fall well below those levels and struggle to sleep enough to stay awake the entire day.
Studies have shown that about 20 per cent of Britons don’t get enough sleep, while 40 per cent of adults say they fall asleep during the day without meaning to at least once a month.
But by turning rest into a game, Sleepagotchi’s developers think they can convince people to take their sleep more seriously.
Sleepagotchi joins a number of other apps which ‘gamify’ health habits, such as Pokémon Sleep (picture), which asks users to log their sleep in order to catch and study various digital creatures
Mr Kraminkin says: ‘Sleep is the most important health habit, more than diet or exercise, but it’s incredibly hard to stick to a routine.
‘I used to work at Duolingo, and wanted to bring that same behavioural design to sleep. Also, let’s be honest: people care more about their virtual pets than their own health sometimes.’
Sleepagotchi joins several other ‘gamified’ wellness apps that hope to use the compelling nature of video games to motivate better habits.
One of the leading examples is Pokémon Sleep, which was released in 2023, and asked users to log their sleep in order to catch and study various digital creatures.
Since its release, the app has been downloaded over 20 million times across the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Meanwhile, other games such as Pikmin Bloom or Fantasy Hike reward players with in-game progress for taking steps out in the real world.
Studies have generally shown that these gamified health interventions have serious promise for improving public health and often translate into changes in behaviour.
So, if you’re serious about gaming and about your own well-being, one of these apps could be a fun way to level up your real-life experiences.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .