What is Pokemon Sleep? Reddit user discovers recent patent application

The Pokemon Company is always seeking to expand the franchise's applications, from games to films to a mountain of merchandise. However, a Redditor by the username Milotic03 has discovered an interesting new application that TPC may bring.

In a Reddit post from January 27, Milotic03 relayed information pertaining to Pokemonsleep.com, which had previously showcased a snoozing Snorlax. However, the post claimed that the site redirected users to a filing associated with the United States Patent and Trademark office. The patent concerned "Gamification of Health Awareness Based on Sleep Patterns" and appears to have been filed on November 17, 2022.

While that initial title clearly points to a "Pokemon Sleep" application being in the works, the details in the filing offered some insight into what may arrive.

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Pokemon Sleep's patent filing details its uses and intent

Fans may soon be able to train their Pocket Monsters while they snooze (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Though much hasn't been divulged about Pokemon Sleep in recent years, discussions about it have persisted since at least 2020. It's believed to be a new franchise game for Android and iOS devices. It was originally announced in 2019 and was allegedly being developed by Select Button, with assistance from Niantic, who was then well-known for their development of Pokemon GO.

While the game wasn't canceled, there was very sporadic information on its development since it was originally earmarked for a 2020 release.

However, a few snippets have come about over the past few years that appear to indicate the title is still moving along. In April 2021, the game had an SSL certificate registered in its name, and Pokemon GO's APK datamine in January 2022 suggested the title had some connectivity features planned with the unreleased video game. Now, with this recent unveiling of the latter's trademark filing, it appears that the sleep-oriented title is still very much alive.

Though the game has seemingly sat in limbo for some time, the abstract for the patent filing offers information regarding what TPC may plan to do with the game, at least in its current developmental state. According to it, a player will "breed" a "virtual life form" by practicing good sleep habits, which therein encourages gamers to get their slumber in to ensure their virtual creature continues to grow and thrive.

There's mention of an online server collecting data on when a player goes to sleep, wakes up, and converts this information into some form of metric, effectively giving gamers a sleep score and developing their Pocket Monster accordingly.

In its essence, the title would seemingly collect data on when a player goes to bed and when they wake up. Meanwhile, an "activity measurement device" will monitor their movements throughout the night and score the quality of their sleep accordingly. The data would then be processed, stored, and fed into some form of an algorithm that updates and progresses the breeding minigame.

One diagram in the patent filing (Image via The Pokemon Company/USPTO)

While the patent filing is quite long and technical, it doesn't reveal any details that would give fans a particularly clear picture of how the game would operate. It may be that the title is still in its incredibly early stages, or the developers don't wish to release any major details until everything is in place for advertising.

Whatever the case may be, what is known is that the game appears to be centered around encouraging good sleep hygiene while using Pocket Monsters to do so. The title seems to be far from dead, as some fans speculated. Perhaps this particular game was never canceled, to begin with; it may have just been sleeping until the right moment presented itself.