Shanghai’s Chongming Island became an unexpected arena for competitive slumber this weekend as Dongping National Forest Park launched its innovative sleep-in-forest competition. The event, strategically timed to coincide with World Sleep Day, welcomed 43 inaugural participants who traded urban noise for the therapeutic sounds of nature in pursuit of restorative sleep and financial rewards.
The competition, which will recur weekly on Saturdays through April 26th with additional sessions on May 2nd and 3rd, operates from 9:00 AM to 7:20 PM. Participants aren’t required to actually sleep—they can simply lie still with eyes closed, making the event accessible to those who struggle with sleep performance anxiety.
Scientific evaluation forms the cornerstone of the competition. Professional sleep monitoring devices meticulously track multiple sleep quality metrics including sleep latency (time taken to fall asleep), total sleep duration, percentage of deep sleep achieved, and sleep continuity throughout the monitoring period. This data-driven approach ensures objective assessment rather than subjective judgment.
Organizers designed the event specifically to provide urban residents respite from their high-pressure lifestyles. The competition welcomes healthy individuals aged 18 to 50, offering them an officially sanctioned opportunity to disconnect from digital devices and reconnect with nature’s circadian rhythms amidst one of Shanghai’s most cherished green spaces.