Many individuals have the habit of twitching while sleeping, however, some have figured out how to utilize this to make money.
Platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Twitch are home to "sleep streamers" who broadcast themselves while under the bed covers.
Kai Cenat is the center of attention, charged with the offense of instigating a riot in the US.
It has been estimated that he earned tens of thousands of dollars from a month-long streaming session without any breaks in March.
During the June episode of The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, Amouranth, a famous streamer globally, declared that sleep streams can generate as much as $15,000 for her.
The viewers who tune in to sleep streams can feel a sense of togetherness - having a virtual person to drift off to sleep with - while also being entertained.
It may seem unusual, but the concept isn't completely foreign - back in the early 2000s, reality program Big Brother was one of the most popular television shows of its time - and the opportunity to observe housemates snoozing through the night on the program's 24-hour live streams unexpectedly became a success on the internet.
In 2004, the National Portrait Gallery presented an hour-long video showing footballer David Beckham sleeping.
Alternative forms of sleep streaming have come to the fore. Viewers are now paying not to have streamers sleep, but rather to stop them from doing so. By contributing money, individuals can cause loud blasts, warnings, flashing lights, or create commotions in the room to interrupt the live streamer's snooze.
These videos resemble a live-action video game, with the streamer attempting to share a snooze and the players or viewers doing all they can to disturb their sleep.
The trend of "sleepfluencers" began on TikTok, such as Jakey Boehm and Stanley - also referred to as StanleyMov - who claims that he earns enough from his intermittent sleep streams to cover his rent.
Viewers will shell out a hefty fee to indulge in this pleasure. For instance, $95 can purchase an electric shock passed through a bracelet on StanleyMov: According to him, "I generally make YouTube videos stemming from my sleep streams, so receiving a zap is just material for my channel.", he said in an interview with the BBC.
I don't know if it's an instinctive behavior, but many individuals seem to take pleasure in the misfortune of others, if that makes sense. it's just kind of exhausting to do it all the time," he says.
Although Stanley was making a nice profit from the sleep streams - like a $12 fee to cause his lights to flicker or $24 to completely daze him with a strong light - he has decided to take a break from them for the time being. "I'm pausing the sleep streams due to mental health and burnout," he explains. "Doing it constantly is just so exhausting."
I am solely responsible for creating, recording and editing nearly three videos every week for the last three years. It is a great deal of pressure for me to come up with and deliver quality content.
However, he explained, "I'm doing it my way because I want it that way; my brand is based on my joke and humor which is reflected in my video editing. As I am live streaming, I am mentally editing the video."
Is it a wise decision to make even though it may bring in a good income?
According to Dr Lindsay Browning, a sleep specialist and author of the self-help book Navigating Sleeplessness, the BBC were informed there are two distinct beliefs.
She noted that science has revealed a massive amount of advantages that come from obtaining an appropriate amount of sleep each evening.
Despite this, real life is not so cut and dried. There are times when even the most responsible individuals cannot get a good night's rest - like when their children are unwell. There are various causes why we may not get adequate rest."
Although it may seem to be the case, in reality, it doesn't always work out that way. For example, take the parents of sick children. There could be a hundred different reasons why we don't get enough sleep. Nonetheless, the situation in reality is often far more complicated than that. Even the most conscientious people can find themselves unable to sleep when their children fall ill. There are countless explanations for why we may not get the necessary rest.
I specialize in treating individuals who suffer from insomnia, which is a condition in which a person desires to sleep but their brain will not let them. As part of the process of curing insomnia, it is important to reduce the fear of not getting a satisfactory amount of sleep in one night.
She stated that while sleep streaming may not seem like a great plan initially, it's similar to having some drinks with friends on a Friday night. "It's not ideal, that's understood, but it can still be enjoyable and doesn't have to be a huge deal."
Dr Browning commented that if you wanted to make a lot of money by doing something every couple of weeks, then that could be an option.
Apart from electrical jolts, it might be that feeling of belonging that keeps viewers returning to streamers such as Amouranth and Kai Cenat even when they are fast asleep.
Stanley indicated that viewers watch the show for comfort, which gives them the sense of not being isolated.
top of page
bottom of page
Comments