Two lakh applicants, 10 finalists, one sleep champion: How Mumbai woman won ₹9.6 lakh — Inside Wakefit’s 60-day contest

A woman from Mumbai has won ₹9.6 lakh and a free trip after being named the overall winner of Wakefit's 60-day Sleep Internship, a contest that combined sleep schedules with creative tasks and reality show-style challenges. The competition, organized by home and furnishing company Wakefit Innovations Limited, received over 2 lakh applications from across India.

Unlike traditional contests, the Sleep Internship focused on contestants maintaining healthy sleep habits, sticking to a strict routine, and completing weekly assignments. After multiple rounds of screening and interviews, 10 finalists were chosen for the two-month competition. Each day, participants aimed to get nine hours of sleep, maintain consistent sleep schedules, and track their sleep patterns.

Their performance was tracked on a leaderboard, with daily scores determining their ranking. In addition to sleeping, contestants had to complete unique weekly challenges, such as recreating movie scenes with a sleep twist, using the words "blanket" or "pillow" ten times in conversation, and recreating bedroom setups from memory.

The final three contestants were Jiniya Chatterjee, Ratnagiri Manikandan, and Mehek Khot. However, contestant Karim Khan from Hyderabad, who had won the most weekly challenges, returned as a wildcard, making it four competitors. The grand finale, called Big Bedd, featured two challenges: Memory Foam Challenge, where contestants had to recreate bedroom setups from memory, and Sleep Auction, where finalists bid for elements of their ideal sleeping environment.

After comparing final scores, Chatterjee was declared the Sleep Champion and received ₹9.6 lakh along with a Wakefit-sponsored vacation. Wakefit has now opened pre-registrations for Season 6, launching in 2019, to encourage people to prioritize sleep and improve sleeping habits.