If Pokémon Go is a game that encourages trainers to go outside, then Pokémon Sleep is its polar opposite. The upcoming mobile game will encourage users to go to sleep, as well as help them track their sleep patterns. While the concept is really interesting, especially for those who don’t enjoy walking around the city daily, some wondered how the game would work for those with sleeping disorders.
The Pokémon Presents livestream gave a brief explanation of how the game works. Using your tracked sleeping data, three types of Pokémon would emerge. However, that’s only if you had a good night’s sleep. What about those with insomnia? Or perhaps those prone to nightmares? How would the game work for them? Unfortunately, that hasn’t been revealed, and those with sleeping disorders fear that they may be missing out on cool Pokémon due to lack of a good night’s rest.
While The Pokémon Company has not revealed how the game would work for those who struggle to get a good night’s rest, fans joked about how Pokémon was able to cure a sleeping disorder through a simple video game instead of proper medication. Because who needs medical help when you have the power of Arceus on your side?
Let’s be real, Pokémon Sleep may not be the ultimate cure for insomnia and other sleeping disorders, and for some, they will still need to go to a sleep clinic in order to have that stored by a health professional. However, if there are hardcore gamers who are willing to try to fight their disorders through video games, then that must be something to be discussed and observed by the medical community.
Until then, insomniacs and those suffering from nightmare syndrome may become the worst Pokémon Sleep players out there. Or maybe the game would provide a handicap or some sort of accessibility feature to make it fair for everyone. Who knows.
Pokémon Sleep is scheduled to come out on mobile during the summer of 2023.