A Mumbai girl has turned sleeping into a money-making machine after winning Rs 9.6 lakh and a sponsored vacation in a bizarre 60 day sleep competition. Jiniya Chatterjee was crowned winner of the fifth season of Wakefit’s Sleep Internship an unusual initiative that went viral.
The competition was run by mattress and home furnishings company Wakefit to encourage people to prioritise quality sleep and healthier sleeping habits. What makes the achievement interesting is that not only were participants rewarded for being in bed but also for sticking to a regular sleep schedule and completing creative challenges too.
How Did the 60-Day Sleep Competition Work
The fifth season of Wakefit Sleep Internship saw more than 2 lakh applications from all over India. After multiple screening rounds and interviews only 10 participants were selected for the two-month programme.
During the 60 days, contestants had to have regular sleeping habits and track their daily sleep performance. Their sleep scores were monitored and displayed on a leaderboard so contestants could compare their progress with each other.
But the competition wasn’t just about sleeping. People also had to do weekly activities designed to test creativity, memory and ability to follow instructions.
Interesting Challenges That Made the Competition Unique
One of the activities was Sleep Cinema where contestants would re-create movie scenes but with a sleep twist. Another activity was called Sleep Bingo which had people review their sleeping habits and do different sleep tasks.
The Undercover Sleep Mission was another unusual task. Contestants had to say ‘blanket’ or ‘pillow’ at least 10 times during a conversation without anyone else noticing.
Participants who did particularly well in the weekly activities were named Pro Sleeper of the Week.
Four Contestants Reached the Grand Finale
After two months of competition Jiniya Chatterjee, Ratnagiri Manikandan and Mehek Khot were among the top contestants. Karim Khan from Hyderabad also made it to finale as a wildcard entry after winning most number of weekly creative challenges.
The grand finale called Big Bedd had several activities that tested the finalists’ memory, observation and creativity.
In the Memory Foam Challenge contestants had to put together a bedroom after looking at reference pictures. The task tested how well they remembered where things were placed.
Another activity, called the Sleep Auction asked contestants to bid on items that would help them create their ideal sleeping environment (pillows, blankets, lighting, sound settings, air-conditioning controls).
Jiniya Chatterjee Takes Home Rs 9.6 Lakh
After the finale challenges the contestants spent one last night in their customised sleeping pods while sleep performance was monitored.
Their final sleep scores determined the winner. Jiniya Chatterjee eventually won and received Rs 9.6 lakh along with a sponsored vacation.
Wakefit’s Sleep Internship was launched in 2019 and has been very popular ever since. In the first four seasons more than 10 lakh applications were received and 65 interns got stipend of Rs 1 lakh each.
The fifth season once again showed that quality sleep is something we need and healthy sleeping habits can become an interesting competition.
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