'I fell asleep at work and I’m spiraling': Office worker falls asleep at their desk, supervisor threatens to write them up

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Aug 29, 2026 12:00 PM EDT

Have you ever fallen asleep during something you weren't supposed to?

Sometimes life just hits you, and you fall asleep when you weren't planning on it. Maybe you got a rough night's sleep, or maybe you've been lulled into sleepiness by a big meal. Either way, it happens. It happens to the best of us, and all you can do is apologize and move on. But what if this happens at work? Should your supervisors hold this against you? If it happens on a regular basis, then maybe. The person in this story was in a difficult place in life, where they had some slip-ups at work. Nobody likes to be told they're doing a bad job, and it can feel like it gets personal when you get negative feedback at work. But it's best not to take it personally, lest you end up in a situation where you're resentful of the people you work with. 

Messing up at work can be a real head trip. It happens a lot, but the way that we react to it says a lot about who we are. It's easy to get down in the dumps about this kind of stuff, and it can be difficult to get out of the muck. The employee in this story was definitely feeling it and wondered if anyone else had ever felt the same way. When you're in a bad spiral at work, it can take so much to get out of it. No matter what you try, you keep ending up in a bad spot. Keep reading to see what this employee was going through and let us know in the comments if you relate to any of it.

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  • A woman is asleep at her desk
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Stock photography for depiction only.


    A woman is asleep at her desk

  • I fell asleep at work and I'm spiraling.

    I'm not asking for advice or anything, just needed to get this off my chest. This morning, I (F24) came into my office and fell asleep for about 15 minutes. My door was half shut and I was fighting to stay awake but I let myself close my eyes and I shouldn't have.
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  • About an hour later, my supervisor walked in and said she saw me sleeping. And so did the director of my program. Which is not a good thing. I asked if I was going to be in trouble and she said she "documented it" but would have to write me up if it happened again.
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  • This had happened once before, which meant she felt like all eyes were on her.

    Here's the thing though- a few months ago, I was caught sleeping by another coworker who warned me that if I'm caught by HR, I'd be fired. I was so distraught, I didn't eat for 24 hours, I lost sleep, I cried. I don't know how to handle these things. I fessed up and owned my mistake to my supervisor, who told me that while she doesn't encourage me to sleep at work,
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  • that if I'm not feeling well, to close and lock my door at the least. But being that the director saw me today, I wasn't met with the same response. I have a fear of authority figures and getting in trouble. I don't know where it came from, but I basically shut down. On top of that, I have never gotten in trouble at work before. Ever. And I feel sick to my stomach.
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  • Sometimes it's hard to tell yourself things are okay, even if everyone else is.

    I'm not upset with my supervisor or boss. I can't be, because they saw me being a horrible employee and had to take appropriate action obviously. I'm just upset with myself for everything. It feels like I've just continually messed up in this role and I'm scared.
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  • At the end of the day, I feel like such a f -up (excuse my language) and a pos. I've always prided myself on my hard work and commitment to my places of employment, but I'm beyond. disgusted with myself for my behaviors. I can only imagine what my boss must think of me
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  • This worker was looking for a ilittle support in this partiuclarly trying time.

    now. What the actual f- is wrong with me?? Like actually genuinely what is wrong with me. I'm disappointed in myself. And it doesn't even matter because I'm the one who messed up so I don't get to be sad for myself.
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  • I'm so embarrassed. And can't even give myself grace because it's not even the first time this has happened. I feel like a loser. And maybe you'll tell me I am. But I know that regardless of what happens, if anything, it's all my own fault and I have no one to blame but myself. I'm sorry this was long and a bit pointless. I have no one to talk to about this. Don't do what I did lol.
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  • A man puts his head in his hands at his desk, his laptop in the foreground
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    A man puts his head in his hands at his desk, his laptop in the foreground

  • Commenters had some questions about what was going on here.

    VFTM Why are you falling asleep in your office so often?
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  • The worker had some level of explanation for all the sleepiness.

    Aggravating Tomato329 OP I sit at a desk for 8 hours. I share my office space with no one. It's quiet and can get boring, especially when I've finished all my work. I'm not trying to excuse my behavior, just offering an explanation as best I can.
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  • Bec21-21 Falling a sleep in the morning (or the afternoon) because you're board is not normal. If you are sleeping ok (getting 7-8 hrs regularly) then you need to go see your doctor. You could have one of many issues that make you tired/fall asleep. If you're not sleeping you either need to change your routine to allow you to get more sleep or see a doctor about your insomnia.
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  • It's never a good sign when your sleep schedule is off.

    Aggravating Tomato329 OP Yes! Sorry, typically I get sleepy towards the afternoon. I mentioned in other posts that I know I don't sleep enough the night beforehand. I stay up late and struggle to go to bed on time. I work early hours so it never plays out in my favor. I own up to the fact that there needs to be a serious change in my sleep schedule.
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  • Brownie-0109 You spent all that time talking about getting caught, and not one sentence about why you think you do it You must have a guess
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  • This commenter had some practical advice on how to tackle this.

    CanadianCompSciGuy Drink coffee. Get more sleep. Sh happens. Out of all the terrible sh that could happen, this is pretty mild. Just work on not falling asleep at work and don't stress yourself out about it.
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  • Jazzlike-Vacation230 Ask if you can get a standing desk, go see a doctor, start drinking coffee, see if you can play music in the background, something. ask for a different desk or cubile where there are more people
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  • The commenter extended a little bit of empathy.

    livetheleague Don't be so hard on yourself. I once fell asleep at my desk without realizing it. I didn't even realize it until I woke up and my co-worker behind me told me that I snored. If you are falling asleep at your desk a lot, do yourself a favor and get that checked out. You could have a condition called sleep apnea and there are treatments for it.
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  • I'm not a doctor and I'm not doing a diagnosis but this is a condition that I have. Didn't realized just how much sleep I was missing until I got tested. Found out that I have moderate to severe sleep apnea and going on the mask was the best thing I ever did. My sleep improved 100%.
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  • Don't worry and you are not a loser. Just get it checked out and you might not regret it.
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boss jobs new job working gen z in the workplace gen z sleeping sleepy
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