Mumbai woman earns Rs 9.6 lakh by sleeping for 60 days; How Jiniya Chatterjee won a sleep internship

Imagine getting paid to sleep for two months and winning Rs 9.6 lakh at the end of it. That is exactly what happened to Mumbai resident Jiniya Chatterjee, who has emerged as the winner of Wakefit's fifth Sleep Internship. Along with the cash prize, she also received a sponsored vacation. However, the competition was not simply about spending long hours in bed. Participants had to maintain regular sleep schedules, track their sleep performance and complete unusual weekly challenges to stay ahead of the competition.

What is Wakefit's Sleep Internship?

Organised by mattress and home-furnishing company Wakefit, the Sleep Internship is a two-month competition designed to encourage people to take sleep seriously. According to India Today, the fifth season received more than 2 lakh applications from across India. After several screening rounds and personal interviews, only 10 participants were selected.

Over the next 60 days, they tracked their sleep patterns and worked towards improving their daily scores. Their performance was recorded on a leaderboard, while the best performers in weekly activities received the title of 'Pro Sleeper of the Week'.

How did Jiniya Chatterjee win Rs 9.6 lakh?

After two months, Jiniya Chatterjee, Ratnagiri Manikandan and Mehek Khot emerged as the top three contestants. Karim Khan from Hyderabad also secured a place in the finale as a wildcard entry after winning the highest number of weekly creative challenges. The finale, called 'Big Bedd', featured two major tasks. In the Memory Foam Challenge, contestants had to recreate a bedroom setup after studying reference pictures. The Sleep Auction required them to bid for essentials such as pillows, blankets, lighting, air-conditioning controls and sound settings.

The finalists then spent one final night in their customised sleeping spaces. Their sleep scores helped determine the winner, with Chatterjee taking home Rs 9.6 lakh and a sponsored holiday. Moneycontrol also reported her win, describing the competition as a two-month sleep challenge.

Why is good sleep important?

The competition also draws attention to an often-neglected part of everyday health. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Good sleep is essential for our health and emotional well-being."

The CDC recommends that adults aged 18 to 60 get at least seven hours of sleep every night. It also suggests maintaining a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule. Wakefit's Sleep Internship has been running since 2019. The company says its first four seasons received more than 10 lakh applications, with 65 interns receiving stipends of Rs 1 lakh each.