‘Pokémon Sleep’ to Launch This Month with Reveal of ‘Gameplay’ Trailer

After a long wait of four years since its announcement, Pokémon Sleep, following the success of Pokémon Go, is finally making progress. Initially, many believed that this peculiar sleep tracking app would never see the light of day, but now a new trailer showcasing its gameplay has been released, along with an estimated release date in late July.

We italicized playing because this is not a game. It’s a sleep tracking app with Pokémon protection. The app pairs you with snooze-loving Snorlax. You’ll strengthen your bond with the gigantic treasure by sleeping, you’ll never guess. A good night’s sleep increases your points and allows Snorlax to absorb “sleepy power” from the poor, lifeless shell. In return, more tired Pokémon will visit and gift you with rare sleep styles. Rinse and repeat until the “Sleep Style Dex” is filled to the brim. Gotta catch them all.

You can also increase your relationship with Snorlax moderately by feeding it berries and special potions, but it won’t bring exhausted Pokémon like Slowpoke and Diglett to your “sleepy island”. It requires rest and careful sleep monitoring.

To that end, the sleep tracking features seem pretty solid, utilizing your phone’s microphone and accelerometer sensors to see how much you toss and turn, or if you snore. Your personal sleep style seems to dictate which pocket monsters will visit. For example, if you’re tossing and turning all night, wait for Togep’s “Rocking Sleep” style. If you snore, Jigglypuff will provide a song through its signature “Singing Sleep” style. The company hasn’t discovered what Pokémon would visit you if you lay in bed all night staring at your phone surrounded by potato chips, and they haven’t said why it took more than four years to develop the sleep tracker.

The app is a walled garden and cannot be integrated with any fitness or sleep tracking apps. However, it pairs with the Pokémon Go Plus wristband, allowing users to start sleep tracking by pressing a button on the device. Wearing the bracelet also encourages a rare visit from Nightcap-wearing Pikachu. The bracelet costs about $30, and the upcoming Pokémon Sleep is a free app.