Get Paid to Sleep

Snooze your way to the bank.

Jen Glantz

Sep 13, 2021

This Week: We are exploring the odd jobs you can do that involve one of my favorite things - sleep.

Today, we’ll chat about how you can make cash while doing something that involves snoozing. On Wednesday, we’ll break down the salary and income of someone sleeping their way to the bank. On Friday, I’ll share odd jobs hiring in the sleep industry that might help you put your current boring career to bed.

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I used to find life in hearing the phrases hustle, grind, work hard - sleep later, but to be honest, after 7+ years of being my own boss, I am exhausted.

I’m not even burnt out. That was sooooooo 5 years ago.

At this point, I’m just exhausted, fully overwhelmed, and most of time, when the clock strikes midnight, my dreams don’t come true…….. my racing mind just keeps me up thinking about all the things I have to do, did wrong, or need to figure out a back-up plan for.

Which made me wonder, does anybody out there get paid to sleep? Make cash while their eyes are shut? Earn dollars for their 401k while they are snuggling with their favorite blanket?

Guess. What?

The answer is YES.

Warning: Reading these jobs below might make you tired.

1. Bed and mattress tester

Average salary: From $80 per hour to $39,350 per year

There are so many new mattress companies out there right now (Casper, Helix, Leesa, Purple) and they need people who can test out new products during different stages of development.

These humans get cash to test out each product.

You can also get paid to test out a mattress for 100 nights and give feedback on the quality of sleep. UK bed brand, Olivia’s, was also in search of ‘comfort connoisseurs’ who were paid £60 ($80) per hour to test out a range of beds.

Another mattress review company, Sleep Junkie, was looking to hire a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ to test out and evaluate mattresses over two months. That person got paid $3,000 for the role.

2. Sleep research

Average Salary: From $100 to $3000

A lot of hospitals, clinics, and universities that do research often have opportunities to pay people to participate in clinical trials that involve them sleeping.

One study at the University of Colorado Boulder paid participants $2,451 for two laboratory visits that nearly lasted four days each. What did they have to do? Sleep.

You could use sites such as ClinicalTrials.gov, to find studies you can apply for.

3. Art & Sleep

Average salary: $10 per hour

Sounds odd but in 2009, a NY artist hired 100 women to take sleeping pills and sleep in the middle of an art gallery while people walked around. This opp is over but there are for sure more opportunities that will come around like this.

4. Sleep in Line

Average salary: $25 for the first hour and $10 for subsequent 30-minute periods

I could never do this job but if you’re someone who can sleep sitting up straight, this could be a gig for you.

When new products are dropped in stores, like the latest iPhone or a limited edition pair of Nikes, people will hire line sitters to go there overnight, or days before the item drops, to save a spot in line.

This is an odd, yet common, gig. So if it is something you’re into, check out Same Old Line Dudes and companies like them.

5. Hotel Mystery Sleeper

Average salary: Varies

I actually just applied to do this because it sounds like a dream. You can get paid to be a mystery hotel sleeper. What does that mean? Companies will pay you to stay at a hotel, pose as a real guest, and take note of the details (customer service, quality of the room, etc.) as a way of giving feedback to the hotel.

Imagine getting paid for a weekend stay at a Ritz Carlton? All you hav to do is take really good notes and be on top of waking up and sending those to the company once the trip ends.

What do you think?