Pokemon Sleep’s recommended ways to play could set your bed on fire
The Pokemon CompanyPokemon Sleep’s recommended way to play has caused some concern among fans about potential fire hazards. Some called into question suggestions regarding phone placement and charging.
Pokemon Sleep is the latest craze for trainers worldwide and has been released to massive appeal. Its simple but engaging passive style of play has made it accessible to every franchise fan.
A sleep-tracking app that rewards you with various Pokemon based on your hours of rest and style of sleep sounds relatively harmless, right? Guess again. When the app isn’t recording your farts, it has the potential to cause housefires according to the Fire Department of New York.
The recommended style of play as published on the official Pokemon website suggests that players should rest their phones on their beds to record their sleep. Fans pointed out that this coupled with the common practice of charging your phone overnight is a direct violation of fire safety practices.
The reason the Pokemon Company suggests having the phone on your bed when using the Pokemon Sleep app is to get the most accurate reading of your sleep type. The game categorizes your sleep into dozing, snoozing, or slumbering, and rewards you with Pokemon accordingly.
The problem is that lithium-ion batteries found in most major smartphones have a tendency to heat up when running high-intensity apps. America’s National Fire Protection Association says that these batteries are a common cause of household fires.
The danger of heat caused by charging the battery and the running of demanding apps like Pokemon Sleep increases the likelihood of fire. Overnight charging is a necessity when using the app according to players.
Users of the Pokemon Sleep Subreddit have posted multiple threads about needing to charge their phones during use to prevent loss of progress. One user says “The app drained my battery in 4-5 hours”.
The Pokemon Company does not suggest charging your phone while using the app directly and there is a safer way to play. The Pokemon Go+ device can be linked to the app and has “Low Energy Technology” that reduces heat from the device.
For players who don’t want to risk facing down a Fire Blast, this is the recommended way to use Pokemon Sleep.
