BENGALURU: When a city-based company called for applications for a ‘sleep internship’, little did they expect over a lakh of applicants. In late November, city-based Wakefit.co came up with the idea of offering a sleep internship, the requirements of which are nothing short of a dream job -- it requires the participants to sleep for nine hours for 100 nights, in exchange for customised counselling sessions and a stipend of `1 lakh. Now, flooded with over 1.5 lakh applications from across the country, the team is busy shortlisting 58 participants.
The perks of the internship, the final results of which will be known soon, are working from the comforts of home (without having to quit your day job), slumbering on a mattress (provided by the firm), receiving a fitness and sleep tracker, and counselling sessions from sleep experts; and a compensation of `1 lakh.
“The shortlisted candidates will be asked to send in video testimonials validating their love for sleep. Candidates who showcase the ability to doze off anywhere, anytime will be further interviewed by an expert panel, who will grill them on their commitment towards sleep. The winners, whose KRAs will be to sleep, sleep and sleep, will be provided with a sleep tracker that will record sleep patterns before and after using the internship mattress,” says Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, director and co-founder, Wakefit.co.
He adds that absenteeism from sleeping diligently, laziness in going to bed on time, and using laptops during the time of the internship will be frowned upon. “The expert panel, comprising healthcare specialists, wellness consultants and interior designers, will monitor interns’ progress and provide counselling on the best way to meet the KRA laid out,” says Ramalingegowda.
According to him, we live life in the fast lane, and sleep is becoming a common casualty, adversely affecting health, productivity and quality of life. “This initiative aims to bring the focus back on sleep health, by applauding people who obsess about sleeping well. We are looking to recruit the best sleepers in the country who are willing to go to any length to make sleep a priority in their lives. This is another step towards making sleep an integral part of maintaining work-life balance in our lives,” he says.