Many viewers are used to thinking of Twitch as a streaming service for gamers. Most of the content here is really casual games or esports. However, a lot of non-gaming categories have appeared in recent years as well, and they are quite unusual.
In addition to Just Chatting, streamers draw or do crafts in the Art category, broadcast their travels in the Travel & Outdoors category, swim in pools or sunbathe on the beach in the Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches category. What's more, content creators can now even sleep live without interrupting the broadcast — just move the stream to the I'm Only Sleeping category. This category has become increasingly popular lately, and in February 2023 it even set new records for viewership.
What is I'm Only Sleeping?
I'm Only Sleeping is most often used during long marathons, when streamers stay on air for days, weeks, or even months. They turn it on before they go to bed to tell viewers that they won't be chatting with them, answering questions, or playing games for the next few hours.
After switching to the I'm Only Sleeping category, the broadcast can continue without the active participation of the streamer. Sometimes content creators run a replay or a clip of the most interesting moments of the broadcast, so viewers have something to talk about in the chat. Recently, streamers have been running more and more long marathons, so the popularity of the I'm Only Sleeping category has grown considerably.
I'm Only Sleeping Category Statistics Until 2023
The I'm Only Sleeping category is a relatively recent phenomenon. If you look at the progress of the category in recent years, you can see that active growth began in April 2021. The Average Viewers number each month has gradually increased from a few hundred to 8K. The Average Channels number increased tenfold between 2021 and 2022.
Last year the average audience of the category ranged from 5K to 8.6K people
Each month the Average Viewers number and the Average Channels number gradually increased, while the Peak Viewers number fluctuated depending on the activity of the top streamers.
I'm Only Sleeping Records in February 2023
Top streamers (or more precisely, their 24/7 broadcasts) helped the I'm Only Sleeping category set a new record. It happened in February 2023, during a big marathon by a popular American streamer KaiCenat. He launched his MAFIATON marathon at the beginning of the month with the goal of reaching over 300K subs and thereby setting a Twitch record.
For an entire month, KaiCenat aired around the clock, interacting with viewers, inviting guests to the broadcasts, playing GTA V, various sports simulators, and other titles. Every day before he went to bed, he switched the broadcast into the I'm Only Sleeping category. As a result, his "sleeping" broadcasts accumulated more than 5.6 million Hours Watched in February.
Thanks to KaiCenat’s marathon, the I'm Only Sleeping category set new records in several metrics at once. In 2022, the Peak Viewers number of the category was 64K (mostly thanks to juansguarnizo’s stream at the end of January). However, KaiCenat surpassed that result with his broadcast in the I'm Only Sleeping category reaching as many as 95.8K viewers.
The situation is similar with the Average Viewers number. Last year, the maximum was recorded in September with 8.6K AV. In February 2023, this figure rose to 14.6K (again, thanks to KaiCenat).
KaiCenat breaks two new records in I'm Only Sleeping Category
As for the Peak Channels, this metric has not grown much in recent months. In December 2022, the category reached 366 Peak Channels. In February 2023 this number rose to 382.
According to statistics, English-language channels use the I'm Only Sleeping category most often — their share ranges from 35% to 50%, depending on the month. Spanish-language channels are in second place, accounting for 20% to 30%. Chinese and German channels are in third place (5% to 10% each).
The I'm Only Sleeping category has become another unusual place on Twitch where top streamers can set personal records. The funny thing is that in this case, they don't even have to make any effort to do so.
