We've all had those mornings:
You're at the office but just can't seem to find the energy to stay awake.
And that's when it happens...
..."sleep-working."
We asked people to give us their most embarrassing sleepworking moments and got some pretty embarrassing tales:
Pants... They're Important
"I once had to get up early to be in the office for a client meeting. I got all ready, put my shoes and coat on, and walked out the door. About five steps down my stairs, I realized I wasn't wearing pants. Legit. Forgot. To. Put. My. Pants. On."
—Sean B.
Partying Like It's 1999
"After a '90s-themed office event, I fell asleep on one of the couches in the break room for about an hour. No shame."
—Annabelle N.
The Perfect Lie
"I fell asleep and then pretended I'd fainted.
"During an internship, I was in a meeting with my boss and couldn't keep my eyes open. It was so embarrassing and obvious enough that she asked me if I needed to step outside. Trying to save face, I told her I wasn't feeling well and when I started to get up to leave the room, I 'fainted.' The lie went to such an extent that she started researching things that cause fainting."
—Veronica D.
Fashion Fail
"I once had an internship during fashion week where I was working roughly 14-hour days and then telling myself it was worth it because I got to go to the parties afterward. After one particularly long night out, I went to go get some fresh air outside using the back entrance to the building. In my delirious state, I completely forgot that the door locked behind you at that entrance, and I found myself trapped in a 5x5 cube of fenced-in concrete with no way out. With no other choice, I climbed the fence, wound up in a luxury condo's private backyard mini golf course, ran through that past a huge window of people watching me, climbed yet another fence into a construction site, and had to slide around potholes and yelling workers until I finally got to the street.
"It took all of that to finally wake me up enough for the rest of the day."
—Spencer B.
Don't Try This at Home
"I frequently pour orange juice into my coffee instead of creamer on accident. It's always an unpleasant surprise."
—Megan K.
Slip-'n'-slide Security
"When I was 17, I worked at a concert venue as security. By security, I mean that I was the jerk who made you unravel your blanket to check for contraband cameras or to make sure your baby wasn't some kind of elaborate flask. Anyway, I was super worn out working a show one night, probably thanks to high school band the night before (what up, ladies?), and they assigned me to do rounds up in the lawn. It wouldn't have mattered except that it was raining that Houston kind of rain that makes you reconsider why the tickets were ever cleared for RAIN OR SHINE.
"I was walking along the top of the lawn and — boom — I slipped. And then I continued to slip down the lawn for what felt like miles. My journey finally came to an end after I ran into some guests and a trash can. I would love to say that everyone just laughed and I walked it off, but instead kids took it as a cue to start their own impromptu slip-'n'-slides all up and down the lawn.
"It was a muddy day."
—Cary R.
The Early Bird Catches the— Oh, Crap!
"One morning before school, my alarm clock went off, so I grabbed my towel and went to take a shower as I did every morning. About five minutes later, my brother came into the bathroom and asked me what I was doing. When I told him I was getting ready for school, he started laughing. Apparently, it was around 11:30 p.m., and I'd only been asleep for a couple of hours. My dad had been watching wrestling and, in my sleep, I'd mistaken the wrestling bell for my alarm clock."
—Casey C.
1-800-ZZZZZZZZ
"One time, I was on a conference call in a room by myself and accidentally dozed off. I was jolted awake by three different offices shouting my name through the phone trying to get my attention. Ooops."
—Taylor R.
Late-night Lifting
"Back when I worked in retail, I had to do a couple overnights. One of the rougher ones required extra lifting and cleanup, so after 14 hours, I walked out of the store in some kind of overly caffeinated, sweat-covered zombie state. I somehow managed to get a seat on the subway during peak commute hours and would regularly wake up every time we pulled into a station because someone would inevitably step on my feet or bump me — but that was probably for the best because it's almost certainly the only reason I didn't miss my stop. I went to my next shift in the same clothes because I'd slept in 'em."
—Chris D.
The Salivating Sleeper
"A few years ago, my boss came into my office to tell me to wake up an employee who was drooling on a table in the break room."
—Brenda K.
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