Pokemon Sleep might be the most boring Pokemon product ever released

Pokemon Sleep is the latest move from the Pokemon Company, combining both mobile gaming and sleep aids in one. It’s a basic, barebones app with a cute art style that can be used to help you form a healthy sleeping pattern. Honestly, though, that’s it.

Having been in the works for a while now, the mobile game is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for free, but does feature in-game microtransactions that are worth being aware of.

The app itself isn’t too hard to get to grips with either. When you first boot Pokemon Sleep up, you’ll be met by Professor Neroli, who will get you started on your adventure to acquire at least 8.5 hours of sleep a night. After Neroli’s run-down, you’ll then meet up with sleeping Pokemon, Snorlax, who’s going to be your best buddy in Pokemon Sleep.

With introductions out of the way, you’ll then be tasked with picking an appropriate bedtime, sticking to it, and bagging yourself the recommended 8.5 hours of sleep a night. Pokemon Sleep will then track your sleeping pattern, even recording noise you made throughout the night (this can be turned off, if you wish), and you’ll attract different Pokemon for it.

That’s right; you’ll attract Pokemon to the small island that Pokemon Sleep is set on just by sleeping, and these ‘mons will have their own Sleep Styles for you to collect, too. If you want them to stick around, you’ll have to collect and feed them plenty of food.

The thing is, that’s about it for Pokemon Sleep, other than consistently feeding Snorlax each day. During different time periods throughout your day, you can open up the app and feed Snorlax meals to help him level up faster; the higher his level, the more new Pokemon you can attract.

It’s a basic, mobile sleep-aid, so I didn’t expect much from Pokemon Sleep; perhaps that is the entire point. Minimal distraction means better sleep, right?

That said, I didn’t quite expect it to be so boring, either. I know this is a sleep-aid and distraction should be minimal, but I was hoping there’d be more to do. Also, how am I supposed to get on top of my sleeping pattern - and catch ‘em all - if different ways of sleeping attract different Pokemon? I’m not sure.

It’s early days, so perhaps we’ll see more features added to Pokemon Sleep in future… What do you think could be added to the app to improve it?