Pokémon Sleep: Shiny encounter odds explained

What are the odds!?

Snorlax and Pikachu sleeping surrounded by other Pokémon.
Image via Niantic

If you plan to encounter a shiny Pokémon when you wake up to Pokémon Sleep every morning, you best hope the odds are in your favor.

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Every Pokémon has a chance to be shiny, and even new Pokémon added with timed events, or costumed Pikachus, can be shiny from the get-go. So, having an elusive shiny that others might not be able to get again is a badge of envy to the Pokémon Sleep community.

But what are the changes to getting a shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Sleep, and what are the overall odds?

What are the shiny rates in Pokémon Sleep?

pokemon sleep in game screenshot
Sleep time. Image via Pokémon Company

The chances of getting a shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Sleep is around 1/450, meaning for every 450 encounters you find in Pokémon Sleep, one of them should be a shiny Pokémon.

Certain Pokémon can get shiny boosts during specific events for a limited time, but there is no telling how this affects the odds. If I had to guess, I would say that it increases the odds from 1/225 to 1/100, but finding a shiny Pokémon, as with other Pokémon games, is purely down to luck.

Owning a shiny Pokémon doesn’t give you any additional benefits and is purely an aesthetic change. While having a team of shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Sleep might be neat, it’s all for naught if the Pokémon isn’t giving you hefty bonuses to increase your sleep score.

There is also a slim chance that the Snorlax you find every week can be shiny. Unlike other shiny Pokémon, you won’t be able to catch or keep this Snorlax, and finding a shiny Snorlax doesn’t increase the chances of you finding a wild shiny Pokémon or having extra benefits. It’s purely a cosmetic change.

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Image of Adam Newell
Adam Newell
Assigning Editor. In 2015, Adam graduated from the University of Aberystwyth with a bachelor's in Media and Communications. Working in the industry for over ten years. If it has anything to do with Nintendo and Pokémon chances are you will see me talking about it, covering, and likely not sleeping while playing it.