Co-Worker Sleeping...

Updated on April 16, 2012
S.L. asks from Urbana, IL
37 answers

Yesterday, my co-worker was caught sleeping on the floor under her desk in her office, by the people across the hall because of the snoring. I'm in the office next to hers and thought it was workers in the building drilling, however, after investigating - it was her. So, of course I had to wake her up. I'm still can't figure out what makes your hard, dirty floor under your desk look so "comfortable" and who would do that?!? LOL - it was pretty funny

Anyone else have stories about a co-working sleeping - i can't be the only one!!

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the responses... apparantly it's more common than I thought. I will give her some slack - hopefully she will choose to do this on her lunch next time and close the door - not at 9:30 in the morning.

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R.D.

answers from Richmond on

If I'm tired enough, I'll sleep anywhere. When I lived in NJ, I had taken a field trip to Philly and fell asleep on a park bench (as did one of the chaperones)... we woke up to dollars and change all over the place... people thought we were homeless. We got ice cream :)

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S.B.

answers from Houston on

I was preggers with kiddo #2 and fell asleep on the toilet at work. I was in there for about 15 minutes. Finally my office mate came and knocked on the door to see if I was okay! I had drool on my leg and everything. She and I still talk about that 19 years later!

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❤.I.

answers from Albuquerque on

LOL, no stories to think of but that reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George sleeps under his desk, alarm clock and all!

7 moms found this helpful

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C.O.

answers from Minneapolis on

The co-worker I share an office with will fall asleep at his desk. I hear him snoring and I will just slam a book down and then hear him jerk awake. It's funny!

4 moms found this helpful

K.L.

answers from Medford on

Havent had a job with co workers, but one Sunday after church service the pastor commented how he was so glad to see my husband nodding in agreement to certain points in the sermon. I laughed,, and said, he wasnt nodding in agreement, he was nodding off and when I poked his ribs his head would pop back up.. (o:

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Wow, we have carpet! :p

Seriously though, I have come into work sick where it was tempting to catch a small nap. For efficiency sake of course! :) It is the idea that if I snore, all will know that has kept me from that folly.

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L.F.

answers from Chicago on

I used to be an engineer, and this was not at all unusual in my field. (Don't know why.) At one of my old employers, we all had desks in a big room. One of the employees took a nap at his desk everyday after lunch. He was the nicest guy in the world, did great work, and had been with the same employer for almost 40 years. We would all be extra quiet when he napped so we wouldn't wake him up :-)

Lots of people used to nap in their cars or nap in a conference room or restroom (if it had a couch). One woman who was undergoing chemotherapy slept under her desk everyday. When management found out that she was napping on the floor, they emptied out an office, put a bunch of cots in the room, and made it a designated it a nap room for everyone. I thought it was a very nice gesture.

I don't see what the big deal is about napping during work hours (during break or lunch time, of course). Lots of countries have siestas, and studies have shown that napping mid-day helps alleviate all sorts of health issues.

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M.M.

answers from Detroit on

That is hilarious. And, I cannot tell you how many times I have considered curling up under my desk for a nap!!! When you're really tired, it makes total sense. I actually just jumped on MP to keep myself awake... I've been falling asleep sitting at my computer since about 2 o'clock!

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A.L.

answers from Chicago on

We used to have someone who would go in the bathroom every afternoon at 2:15pm and sleep. Someone finally told HR that there was someone snoring in the men's room. Turned out he was an alcoholic who also drank in his office.

I fell asleep at a seminar about FMLA once. It was a bunch of attorney's talking about FMLA guidelines and procedures and it was my first day back from Maternity leave. I had a 3 month old who was up every 2 hours to eat, needless to say I was tired. My boss kept elbowing me to wake up, but she understood thank goodness.

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N.W.

answers from Eugene on

My mentor used to sleep under his desk during his lunch break. He just had his 3rd child and wasn't getting much sleep at home. There was carpet but I don't thing it was very clean. I don't remember any snoring. We all understood and sympathized with him.

When I was pregnant, I slept in my truck during lunch... with an alarm clock.

My boss used to take naps a random times during the day but he had his own office and closed the door. One of the perks to having seniority.

2 moms found this helpful

A.R.

answers from Houston on

My husband took a picture of a co-worker snoozing away one cube over. The guy was kicked back and softly snoring. My husband stood on his chair to snap a quick pic which he e-mailed to their supervisor, asking for afternoon nap priveleges too. Fortunately they all got along and took it as a joke. There was this other co-worker of my husband's who openly napped most afternoons. He was a grouchy old bat so people ignored the snoring and were glad for the mood improvement post-nap. Waking him up was like disturbing a toddler from his nap. A real recipe for disaster.

When I was pregnant with my son, I volunteered to listen in on a technical web conference for the express purpose of taking a 45 minute nap. I couldn't keep my eyes open one second longer. I have my own office so I was able to close the door, put on my headphones and catch a quick nap. I can only hope I wasn't snoring. My husband covered for me by listening in on my behalf and giving me the cliff notes version. Bless him. Sometimes the need to sleep is overwhelming.

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B.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I used to fall asleep until I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I went to a sleep clinic for a sleep study and was given a CPAP machine. BTW, snoring is one of the signs of sleep apnea.

Then I never fell asleep at work until I hit my late 50's. Now I'm retired and can take a nap when ever I want during the day.

Good luck to you and yours.

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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

When I was carring my oldest I would go into my co-workers office (she was like a mother to me) and sleep on her floor on my lunch break. I was so exhosted and sick the entire time she felt sorry for me. She would turn off her over head light and use a lamp and wake me up when it was time to go back to work. I probably could have when I was carring youngest but there was no place to lay down.

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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

When I was in my early 20's, I had undiagnosed hypothyroid. Luckily, the ladies room had a couch and I had a place to nap at lunch time, which I did a LOT. Once I was diagnosed, no more naps. Luckily, it was not an embarassing location :)

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J.S.

answers from Columbia on

In my drinking days, I have slept off a hangover under my desk.

Several times.

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

My niece used to work with me. She had two jobs - one as an overnight stocker where she worked from 10:00 p.m,. - 7:00 a.m. and then the office job with me from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. I used to catch her sleeping all the time.

Got to the point that I felt so sorry for her because she just looked so darned tired all the time, that I would let her sleep and wake her up just before the boss showed up.

I know she was glad when she got laid off the office job.

1 mom found this helpful

I.X.

answers from Los Angeles on

yes, we hired a licensed architect from Boston to join our design team. The projects for which he had been hired were not full swing and he had very little to do. Then learned he had pretty severe sleep apnea which left him under rested during the day. I could hear him snore. Would not have resented him so much but he worked on his hobby for hours at work which was glam photography. So if he was not snoring, he has pictures of big busted ladies in bikinis he was photoshopping. He was fired after a few months.

In a small office, instead of going home with severe cramps, I laid down in my bosses office (she was gone) until they went away. The secretary latter spun it to make me look horrible for laying down on the job, when I really was just trying to tough it out to finish the work day and not leave sick.

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M.O.

answers from New York on

There are all kinds of medical conditions that make this unavoidable for people. I hope your company was sensitive and respectful about this.

1 mom found this helpful

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

My husband used to do that often BUT it was on his lunch break!!!

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

Hey, Sue W. -- aren't those "rest rooms" fantastic?! I too used to work at a great place that had a windowless room with a kind of "fainting couch" in it. It was set aside for folks to use if they needed a private break etc. And when I was pregnant I was encouraged to chill in there as needed. Total godsend. The employer was a human resources firm so they were very attuned to things like this and to employee care.

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C.J.

answers from Dallas on

BAHAHA! Rachel D. Crack me up (and the sawing logs co-worker - Love myboys so funny!). I was the guilty party after I got back to work after #2 we had these late, late meetings on Wed. nights that lasted five (not kidding!) hours. Despite my best to keep awake with coffee, etc. my eyes closed and my head hit the table. I was mortified when I looked up and realized all the compnay VPs were looking at me. No one laughed or felt pitty. I think I got an eye roll or two. but i'll tell you what the following weeks, I went and took a 30 min power nap before the meeting.

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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

When I was pregnant, I worked at a company that had "sick rooms" with a bed on every floor! I took many naps! It still got my work done, but those naps were so necessary. One day I was at a different building, same company, and they didn't have sick rooms, so I curled up on the carpeted floor of one of their "mom" rooms (used for pumping) and took a nap.

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J.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

You would be horrified to hear of how many nurses fall asleep during nightshift sitting at the desk. It always made me feel so awful to have to see someone fired for it. Hospitals take a hard line with sleeping on duty.

1 mom found this helpful

N.N.

answers from Detroit on

Yes, I have one that does not sit far from me and will say to me can you wake me if I start to snore.... LOL!

Stacy B: that laugh will last me until Friday, take a bow!

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

When I was student teaching we had to go to a presentation thing for a president's birthday or something. We walked the kids (high school) over to the outdoor place it was being held, and I fell asleep during one of the speeches. I guess the kids were saying something and my supervising teacher hushed them, telling them I probably needed the sleep! He wasn't kidding, I was up until 1 or 2 am every night doing lesson planning and grading papers, and the school I was student teaching at was a 45 minute drive from where I lived.

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T.V.

answers from New York on

When I was in basic training I used to crawl up in my locker and take a snooze. I've also slept in a bathroom stall more time than I can count!

I have a friend that takes a nap religiously everyday. At least she has the courtesy to do it in her car. She doesn’t have any health issues, she just likes naps.

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

When I was nineteen or twenty I fell asleep in the back room, on the floor, among freshly unpacked clothing, bubble wrap and broken down cardboard. I was MAJORLY hungover :(

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S.T.

answers from Houston on

Well, it was not a co-worker, but when I was taking an exam last week, one of my student colleagues fell asleep right in the middle of the exam, just started snoring really loud! very off putting!

R.H.

answers from Austin on

I hope the superiors realize that she may be overly stressed and tired and not fire her.

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I used to work with a guy that would fall asleep in meetings. Like in a conference room around an oval table so everyone can see everyone meetings. He didn't last very long.

She was either exceptionally tired, sick or hungover would be my best guess. But the floor? Eew.

E.S.

answers from Dayton on

My DH used to have a co-worker who did the same thing-though I don't think he snored. He had a picture of it on his phone for the longest time.
So funny! Such a wacky dude!
I used to fall asleep at the breakroom table occasionally. Mostly tried to do it when I was pregnant-which was never easy to do w/ my belly in the way.

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B.M.

answers from Chicago on

No...I work in a total professional environment. If any person I work with sleeps, they need to go home She is lucky that she isn't fired.

R.T.

answers from Champaign on

I am the sleeping co-worker. I am a WAFH mom of four and went back to school a few years ago. So sometimes after not being able to start homework until everything goes to bed and the house is finally quiet, I need that nap on my lunch hour just to make it through the day. I lost my private office a couple of years ago and have to find nooks and crannies wherever I can.

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A.W.

answers from Chicago on

My husband used to work as a cook for a daycare that was held in a church basement. Every day after lunch the kids would lay down for nap time. My husband would clean up from lunch and then go into the sanctuary and take a nap on a pew. Every day- his boss listed it as one of the perks when she hired him. Best part was as long as he was in the building he was paid for that time (he had an hour). A couple of the teachers would nap in the classroom with the kids as well. He orginally was supposed to sleep in the day care part but he snored so loud he woke kids up the first week he worked there and so had to move to the sanctuary.

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J.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

I feel for people with chronic illnesses but have jobs that don't give them the flexibility to take a break or rest somewhere more appropriate than a bathroom/sitting room or under their desk.

I worked with three people through the years like this. One was a woman who had severe fibromyalgia. The flareups would happen unexpectedly and she'd have to lay down on a couch in an employee lounge until she could muster enough strength to finish the day. Alot of people said she was faking. But I figure why not just call in sick instead of having everyone roll their eyes as they walk by? She must have felt pretty bad to put up with that yet stay on to finish her work for the day.

The other two: A woman who suffered from chronic migraines. She'd wear sunglasses to block the light and hide the fact she was sleeping while sitting up and kept a trash pail under her desk. When the pain got so bad, she'd just barf in the basket and it was back to business as usual. You could tell she was just dying but she said if she called in sick everytime she had an episode, she'd be out of work. Poor thing.

The other was a woman who had killer monthlies. So bad she claims she wore Depends. She too would vomit at work and have killer headaches to boot, but would soldier on at her desk...and like your co-worker would close her door and lay on the floor next to her desk if her cramps were bad enough. Unlike the other two, she was able to remedy her situation and had surgery and her problem was improved.

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

I used to work with a woman who would just totally fall asleep for a little while, sitting straight up. We kind of worked around her. she had been a teacher, then a sub. I didn't mind her sleeping and she was always good at the job, but I wonder what happened driving to and from work.
On the floor, never.

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