Pokémon Sleep review - slumbering with a Snorlax
Image courtesy of The Pokemon Company.
A few weeks ago, my friend told me about an app they were using to track their sleeping habits: Pokémon Sleep. When they first mentioned it, I found it strange. Why would Pokémon care about sleep schedules? So, I decided to try this mobile game for a night. The bright blue screen with Pikachu sleeping on it kept me company through the night. In the morning, I was awakened by the app alarm and my normal alarm. You can guess the racket of noises I faced at 10 AM.
On top of that, my phone’s battery went from 100% to 20% overnight. Still, I was proud of my first score: 96. Pokémon Sleep validated the theory I had about myself: I sleep like a log and fast. Now, I want to see how other users find this game app.
But first, how does this game work? When you place your phone next to your pillow, the game records and tracks various aspects of your sleep. These include how long you fall asleep and the sleep analysis with the separated stages (dozing, snoozing, and slumbering). The app also notifies you when it is time to go to bed. This helps ensure you get the recommended eight hours of sleep. It also has an alarm to wake you up and a lullaby for the night. Every time you wake up, you will have a sleep score and be assigned a sleep type: Dozing, Snoozing, Slumbering, or Balanced.
Now, you may ask, what about the Pokémon? The player is introduced to the character of Professor Neroli, who explains that he is studying the sleep patterns of Pokémon. On your screen, you will see a Snorlax. Every morning, depending on your score and the category you are in, there will be a variety of Pokémon snoozing near the huge creature. You will be able to complete your Pokémon sleeping deck and also befriend them. The soft giant Snorlax's power increases every time you log in to the game. This will attract new friends to sleep near him. You can also feed him berries (that you obtain by befriending other Pokémon) to help boost his capabilities.
I went to Reddit to read about users' experiences, and for most, Pokémon Sleep helped them go to bed at a reasonable hour and avoid using their phones before falling asleep. If the app helps users have a consistent bedtime or disconnect from their phones after a certain hour, I was curious about the other players, the ones who stopped using it and why. It’s important to remember that Pokémon Sleep is a game first and a sleep tracker second. This means the game's main goal is to keep you logged in as long as possible by making you do all the steps to complete your deck. However, as your level rises, your tasks are prolonged. This transforms a moment of playing into a chore you must do every time you wake up. There is an irony in this app: the main purpose is to reduce your screen time, but it also requires a lot of phone usage.
In my opinion, Pokémon Sleep is a good app for fans of the creatures with a screen addiction. It’s no secret that our hyper-connected world impacts both our mental health and, of course, our sleep quality. In our way, some of us are trying to find new techniques to have better self-care while keeping a tight budget. Moreover, if, for some people, the way to take care of themselves is by sleeping next to a cute slumbering Pikachu, then why not?
For me, it was a funny little experiment, but I don’t think I’ll do it again, as my phone’s battery probably wouldn’t survive another night.
Written by Calypso Morgan
Writer
Calypso is a writer and an artist from France.
She writes about Internet culture, video games, and anything else she is passionate about.
(Insta: @calysimple).