Organisers have also introduced rules aimed at preventing participants from deliberately manipulating their performance. Competitors will not be allowed to stay awake all night beforehand

A Japanese mattress company is turning sleep into a competition, with participants set to battle for a Sh1.8 million (2.22 million yen) prize in a 90-minute napping tournament in Tokyo.

Koala, a Japanese mattress brand, will host the “Matt Race by Koala” on October 5, 2026, at Share Green Minami Aoyama in Tokyo’s Minato ward, according to TV News.

About 60 participants will be selected through a free lottery and will compete in three 90-minute sessions held throughout the day, with an awards ceremony scheduled for the evening.

The participants will lie on Koala mattresses while medical-grade sleep trackers monitor how quickly they fall asleep, the depth and stability of their sleep and their overall sleep quality.

Doctors will oversee the scoring, with the participant who records the highest overall “sleep score” declared the winner.

The competition will not be as quiet as an ordinary nap. Organisers plan to introduce surprise noises and other distractions during the sessions to test whether participants can maintain deep and stable sleep despite disturbances.

Before the race begins, participants will take part in light pre-sleep exercises, while some will be given randomly selected sleep-related items that could influence their rest.

Organisers have also introduced rules aimed at preventing participants from deliberately manipulating their performance. Competitors will not be allowed to stay awake all night beforehand, deliberately arrive extremely tired or use sleeping pills and similar drugs.

The overall winner will receive 2.22 million yen, equivalent to about Sh1.8 million (US$14,400), with the prize amount linked to the “Zzz” symbol commonly associated with sleep.

The tournament will also feature side awards, including “Deepest Sleep Dive” for the participant who records the deepest sleep and “Roll Over Acrobat” for the most unusual sleeping position. Other participants will also have a chance to win sleep-related gifts.

Koala says the event is intended to draw attention to sleep deprivation in Japan while encouraging discussion about the importance of quality rest.