16 hours ago
UPSC aspirant bags Rs 9 lakh internship to sleep 9 hours at night
Pooja Madhav Wavhal, an IPS aspirant from Pune, has been declared India's 'Sleep Champion of the Year' after topping a 60-day sleep-based internship in Benagaluru. She earned a cash prize of Rs 9.1 lakh for maintaining nine hours of sleep each night, making her the top scorer among 15 shortlisted participants selected from over 1 lakh applicants across contest, now in its fourth season, was designed to bring attention to India's growing sleep were equipped with contactless sleep trackers and given Wakefit mattresses to monitor their sleep quality.
Alongside, they attended sleep workshops and challenges aimed at improving rest competed in quirky tasks such as blindfolded bed-making, alarm clock hunts, and a final sleep-off to assess consistency and scored 91.36 to win the top prize, while each of the 15 interns received Rs 1 lakh for completing the INTERNSHIP: HOW CAN YOU APPLY?Minimum age: Applicants must be 22 years or older at the time of entry only: Only one application per person is allowed. Multiple entries will be completed forms: Incomplete applications will not be strictly enforced: Late submissions will be interns not eligible: Participants from Seasons 1, 2, and 3 are not eligible to staff restriction: Employees of Wakefit and their family members cannot All updates will be shared via SMS, email, WhatsApp, or phone accuracy: Any false or incorrect information will lead to required: By applying, candidates agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy as mentioned on the official website.A VIRAL CONCEPT SINCE 2019The first edition of the internship began in 2019 and has since completed four seasons. With each round, the programme has attracted lakhs of applications, turning what began as a quirky experiment into a well-followed cultural phenomenon in India's wellness and startup year, selected participants -- dubbed 'sleep interns' -- are paid to sleep at least 9 hours a night for 60 consecutive days. The goal is to monitor sleep quality using a contactless tracker and complete simple feedback routines, all from the comfort of their own the past, shortlisted candidates were evaluated through online forms, video resumes, and brief fun elements are added too -- such as asking about one's ability to fall asleep quickly or history of nodding off in AND REWARDSEach selected intern is guaranteed Rs 1 lakh for completing the 60-day cycle. At the end, the participant with the most consistent and high-quality sleep -- dubbed the 'Sleep Champion' -- receives an additional cash reward of up to Rs 10 internship is work-from-home and fully remote. Interns use Wakefit's own mattresses and sleep trackers to monitor their idea has struck a chord especially with younger Indians looking for new forms of work-life balance -- or at least a better night's for Season 5 are now open. Wavhal, reflecting on her win, said she hoped the spotlight would push more people to treat sleep as an essential for recovery, not just to the 2025 Great Indian Sleep Scorecard, 58% of Indians go to bed after 11 PM, and nearly half wake up feeling tired.- Ends
