Pooja Madhav Wavhal, a Pune-based UPSC aspirant, has won the title of India's "Sleep Champion of the Year" by topping a 60-day sleep internship conducted in Bengaluru. She earned a cash prize of ₹9.1 lakh by sleeping nine hours daily every single night, defeating 14 others who were shortlisted from more than 1 lakh candidates across the nation.

The internship, now in its fourth year, is a part of a campaign that seeks to raise awareness about the problem of sleep deprivation in India. Wakefit organised the program, which tests participants, also referred to as "sleep interns" for their capability to have consistent and quality sleep for 60 days.

Participants were given Wakefit mattresses and contactless sleep monitoring devices to track their sleep patterns at home. Apart from tracking, participants also engaged in interactive workshops and sleep challenges that encouraged them to indulge in healthy, restful habits.

To bring some fun into the activity, interns engaged in activities like fun competitions involving alarm clock treasure hunts, blindfolded bed-making, and a final "sleep-off" to check their sleeping discipline and consistency.

Pooja scored 91.36 in the internship, winning the grand prize. All 15 selected interns were also given ₹1 lakh at the successful end of the program, according to the India Today report.

Started in 2019, the internship has evolved into a quirky and influential program that combines wellness with public participation. With increasing interest every season, the application process comprises application forms, video submissions, and short online interviews. According to the Wakefit website, the applications for season 5 are now open.