Pokémon games are not typically difficult. Because the RPGs are meant to be an all-ages affair, getting through them is usually just about knowing type advantages and striking an enemy’s weakness for a one-hit knockout. That’s why fan-made rules like the Nuzlocke came to be: Players have to find ways to make the game more challenging. That being said, it seems like The Pokémon Company may have released the hardest Pokémon game of all this week: Pokémon Sleep.
As we’re often told growing up, adult humans are recommended to get about seven to eight hours of sleep every night in order to feel well-rested, but the average person ends up getting less than seven. As a sleep-aiding app, Pokémon Sleep tells you this during its tutorial section as soon as you’re setting it up. However, let me show you a screenshot of my first night using the app:
In my case, I’ve dealt with insomnia that typically has me waking up at least once or twice a night before I have to actually get up and do stuff. I’ve started going to the gym in the mornings to take advantage of it, but it’s my reality that I haven’t consistently gotten close to eight hours of sleep in probably seven years. Meanwhile, Pokémon Sleep gives you extra rewards for sleeping longer and closer to the target time of eight-and-a-half hours. It feels like my progress in this game, and that of other insomniacs, is kind of out of our control. We can’t rise and grind to meet this challenge because that is counterproductive. You want to grind for shinies? Close your eyes and start counting Mareep, motherfucker.
The trouble is, for some, there really isn’t much point to trying Pokémon Sleep when they know they’re not going to be able to hit the numbers they need to actually make progress in the app. Despite the standards we try to have for it, sleep isn’t a universal experience for some, and it can come from a multitude of factors that can’t simply be slept through.
On top of that, some of us just can’t manage to sleep that long or consistently because our adult responsibilities dictate our time so heavily.
Notably, Pokémon Sleep does let you record up to two sleep sessions per day, so if you want to juice the numbers, you can do so by taking a nap for at least 90 minutes. I’m pretty partial to 15-minute naps myself, so that doesn’t help me. But if you’re looking for a secret hack to grind those numbers, that’s an option.
I’m only two days into using Pokémon Sleep (and did manage to get more sleep by skipping the gym this morning), but I’m still not sure I find it particularly useful yet. Still, I’ve ordered the Pokémon Go Plus + to see if it helps elevate the experience. In the meantime, I guess I’ll keep listening to the recordings the app has every night. All it really seems to record is me tossing and turning. RIP to those who have had less flattering soundbites.