Japan has turned one of its chronic problems into a competition: getting enough sleep.

Dozens of people gathered in Tokyo on Monday, climbed onto mattresses, attached sleep-monitoring devices to their heads and tried to do something millions of Japanese struggle with every day — sleep well.

The competition, called the “Matt Race,” gave participants up to 90 minutes to fall asleep and demonstrate the deepest, highest-quality rest, according to Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi and AFP.

The reward for doing nothing particularly quickly was substantial: 2.22 million yen, or roughly $14,000.

Around 60 competitors were selected after the organisers received more than 45,000 applications. They competed in groups of around 20 in Tokyo's Minami-Aoyama district.

But simply closing their eyes was not enough.

Sensors measured how quickly competitors fell asleep, as well as the depth, quality and stability of their sleep. Organisers even introduced distractions during the contest to see whether participants could remain asleep.

The person with the highest overall sleep score won.

That turned out to be a competitor who identified herself only as Suimii.

She said she hoped to use some of her winnings to move into her own home — and buy the sort of bed a princess might sleep in.

Behind the playful contest lies a serious problem.

OECD data cited by AFP found Japanese people averaged seven hours and 24 minutes of sleep a day in 2021, the lowest among the countries surveyed, with long working and commuting hours among factors associated with the country's chronic lack of rest.

Riichiro Nakama of organiser Koala Sleep Japan said the unusual competition was intended to get people thinking about sleep.

For one contestant, Chisato Honda, the 90 minutes disappeared rather too quickly.

“It was over in an instant,” he said.

For once in famously hardworking Japan, sleeping on the job was precisely the point.