Employee shows up 9.5 hours early to his shift after mind-altering power nap: ’Yeah… I’m going back home. Clearly I’ve done enough for today’

Olivia Arocena • Writer and Editor

Aug 24, 2026 11:45 AM EDT

The employee who redefined showing up early

I have read this story a couple of times, and I still can't decide whether this is a great way to start your day or a terrible one. He posted it on the /tifu subreddit, and I mean, he did, but it kinda worked in his favour?

Think about it like this: it's like when you wake up in the middle of the night thinking you only have like five more minutes of sleep, but it turns out you have like 4 hours, so you huddle in bed and go back to sleep, grinning from ear to ear- but better. Or is it worse?

This employee, after the unavoidable uncomfortable moment with his boss, went back home, fully ready, well-rested, and able to go rest some more! I give the experience a 10 out of 10 in joy.

Of course, you can always see the glass as half empty and say that he wasted a bunch of time getting ready and going to work, but I can assure you that what he felt when he was coming back to his place was relief, knowing he didn't have to start his shift in like 9 hours.

I love that his brain took all that time to reboot, like he took a shower, he went to work, he entered the place; he did all that, and he still hadn't fully woken up yet. That's just amazing. And it's honestly like a real-life meme.

Am I the only one who wishes something like this would happen to me?

Time travelling

via Shane

The 'power nap' in question
_{Scene is illustrative and does not depict actual individuals or events}
TIFU by taking a nap so hard I showed up to work 9½ hours early

via RC107412
via RC107412
via RC107412
via RC107412
via RC107412
Snooze

via Sander Sammy

'Late for work'
_{Image depicted solely for explanatory purposes}
via RC107412
via RC107412
via RC107412
via RC107412
Accidental nightshift

via JC Gellidon

The guy arriving to work at 7:30 P.M.
_{Representative only}
Naps are definitely something else. They reboot your brain in ways that nighttime sleep never could, and they are meant to do that. You time travel, you have the craziest dreams, you wake up and you don't even recognise where you are, it's an amazing feeling that everyone should experience at least once. So give it up for nap-lovers!