Thelong-awaited Pokémon Sleepis out now on iOS and Android, four years after its announcement. It aims to gamify your sleep, combining the irresistible addiction of catching Pokémon with the basic human need for a good night’s rest. Pokémon Sleep arrives alongside the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory (yes, that’s pronounced “plus plus”), which works with Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go.
Pokémon Sleepis developed by Select Button with assistance from Niantic. There aren’t any AR features to speak of; we’re unsure exactly what “assistance” Niantic provided. The premise is simple, the better you sleep, the more Pokémon you’ll collect in your Sleep Style Pokédex. However, there are enough features packed in here that turn the experience into more of a “game.”
The goal of Pokémon Sleep is to record all the different ways Pokémon sleep. Each day, you’ll check what Pokémon have gathered around a Snorlax and add their sleep details to your Pokédex. Your “Sleep Score” is then used to purchase snacks and items for your Pokémon. A lot is happening here; this isn’t just a sleep tracker with a Pokémon skin.
To track your sleep effectively, the app requires you to place your phone face down on your mattress while you sleep. Not only will it analyze your sleep patterns, but it will also record any loud noises, from farts to a car alarm going off outside.
If you’d rather not have your phone on your mattress, you can purchase the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory, which can track your sleep similarly. It’s a little pricy ($54.99) but also functions like the old Pokémon GO Plus, letting you interact with Pokémon GO with just a button press. Purchasing this device will unlock extra in-game bonuses for Pokémon Sleep.
Pokémon Sleep is more a game than a health tool, but who knows, maybe the prospect of seeing how your favorite Pokémon spend their restful hours will encourage you to go to bed earlier.
