Dream Job: Get Paid For Sleeping: Deets Inside

Bengaluru: The concept of a job that pays to sleep became popular after Bengaluru-based sleep and home solutions company, Wakefit.co, created a viral sensation with its Sleep Internship initiative in 2020. The company's Sleep Internship in 2020 was a much-talked-about event.

A year later, the world has faced a pandemic, and sleep has somehow taken a backseat again amidst the stress, health risks, and career turbulences. Wakefit.co is here to bring the focus back on sleep and make sleeping glamorous again.

The D2C sleep and home solutions brand is back with its Sleep Internship program and Season 2 promises to be bigger and better than its hugely popular maiden season.

With 1.75 lakhs applications in the first season, the Wakefit Sleep Internship created waves across the globe and received interest from over 30 countries.

Applicants shared their love for sleep through videos, text messages, customized songs, dance routines, and poems, as they sought to land their #DreamJob. Getting paid Rs 1 lakh to sleep was simply an add-on, most applicants gushed.

“The success of last year’s sleep internship took all of us by surprise. It was amazing to see people so passionate about an activity that has been ignored for so long. We had people come in pajamas and slippers for the final interview round – that’s how deeply they cared about getting their dream job!” said Sajni Masturlal, who is the Head of Content at Wakefit.co and was instrumental in putting together one of 2020’s most viral campaigns.

This year, selected sleep interns will not only earn Rs 1 lakh but the pool of interns will get to compete with each other too, for a grand prize of Rs 10 lakh. Of course, the chance to win bragging rights to be called ‘India’s Sleep Champion’ is an added incentive.

Close to 80,000 applicants have already thrown in their hats to compete this year and be a Sleep Intern.

Sandeep Balan, Partner (Branded Content) at Spring Marketing Capital, who collaborated in bringing this initiative to life, is excited to see what this year holds.

“When we conceptualized the Sleep Internship last year and put it out there, a lot of applicants were unsure of how this will unfold and even had doubts if this internship was for real! This year, applicants have a ready pool of information to help them create a winning entry. And the incentive is not just about the money. We want people to take pride in being called India’s best and most dedicated sleeper. We want India to wake up to the power of sleeping and help in our sleep movement.”

The contenders who clear the rigorous selection process in Season 2 will have to turn up to work every night in the comfort of your home for a deep, uninterrupted sleep of 9 hours for 100 consecutive nights. Each of the interns will be provided with a state-of-the-art Wakefit.co mattress and a sophisticated sleep tracker.

They will also get to participate in various sleep-related challenges as part of the internship to emerge as India’s most passionate sleeper. As part of its scientific approach to sleep, the company will also facilitate counseling sessions with sleep experts, fitness experts, home decor specialists, etc. for the interns.

Talking about the unique internship program, Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, Director and Co-founder, Wakefit.co, said, “We have brought back the Sleep Internship in its second season, to remind people to not relegate sleep to the bottom of their priority list. We aim to drive home the message that sleeping is a serious job. Just like any other job, it can be both, satisfying and rewarding, when done right. The extraordinary response to our Sleep Internship program in 2020 has encouraged us to take forward this important conversation with season 2.”

Wakefit.co’s sleep internship microsite features last year’s winning interns, their hilarious interviews with our celebrity judges, and a profile capturing their love for sleep.