Shanghai is hosting a 7-hour sleep competition where people can win cash by lying still

Shanghai really said: what if doing absolutely nothing was a sport? 😴

Dongping National Forest Park on Shanghai’s Chongming Island hosted the 2026 Chongming Forest Sleep Challenge, a very serious unserious outdoor competition where participants lie on mattresses in the forest for 7 hours — from noon to 7 PM — and compete based on sleep quality.

The event runs from March 21 to April 26 every Saturday, with two extra May holiday sessions on May 2 and May 3. Since today is May 2, tomorrow is literally the final chance to witness people professionally lying flat for money.

The rules are beautifully strict: no phones, no chatting, no sitting up, no standing, no bathroom breaks, and no sneaky sleep meds. Participants can turn over, close their eyes, zone out, or actually sleep, but any body part leaving more than one-third of the mattress means elimination. Everyone wears professional sleep-monitoring devices, tracking things like sleep duration, speed of falling asleep, and deep sleep ratio.

The prize setup makes it even better: 3,000 RMB for the top “Supreme Sleep God,” 2,000 RMB for the fastest sleeper, and a 10,000 RMB “Lie-Down Winner” pool shared by those who survive the full challenge legally.

And yes, this forest also has deer. Visitors can meet sika deer in the park’s interactive deer area, and wild or semi-free-range deer may appear deeper in the forest. The animals are well cared for — they’re just casually watching humans compete in elite-level napping. 🦌🏆