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Old 11-29-2007, 03:59 PM
mbillie1 mbillie1 is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: crazytown
Posts: 6,665
Default Sleeping at work

I recently started working for an office furniture dealer. I'm the "network coordinator," which means I type stuff in a computer and print stuff out, and occasionally email stuff to people. I also answer the phone when it rings.

The situation is this: I get to work at 8 in the morning and work until 5. This is a small business, a very relaxed workplace environment. The local easy-listening-no-repeat-work-day radio station is playing all the time. The owners are only here monday through wednesday if that; the rest of the week I'm sort of left to my own devices. I want to start napping at work, since I'm noticing that I'm tired a lot of the time. I am wondering a few things:

1) Does anyone have any experience doing this? Can you provide tips?

2) Can anyone think of good excuses if I'm caught asleep? Narcolepsy, etc?

3) Does anyone have any experience with good pillows that are discreet and if possible look like work products? Like a pillow shaped like a giant binder filled with stupid papers would be amazing.

Here is an approximate diagram of my office situation:



The owner's office will be empty on the days I attempt to take sleep breaks. Desk #1 belongs to a guy who's usually out of the office and at any rate wouldn't care / notice. Desks #2 and #3 are people with whom I regularly interact, give work to / get work from, etc. They will be the most likely causes of interruption. Desks #4 and #5 are two of the design people, and they pretty much keep to themselves. All of the black lines indicate cubicle walls, about 5' high maybe. The only exception is the L shape that makes up my desk; that's only about 3-4' high (I'm terrible at estimating heights fwiw)

Now, my desk is basically a big L-shape, with a wall going about 1' over the desk surface on the outer edge. Here is a photograph of my desk:



Is my best bet to sleep sitting up with my head on a pillow? Or go underneath the actual desk? I can easily lay down totaly stretched out under my desk. If I brought a small dark colored blanket and pillow it would be fairly discreet. The pros and cons of each

<u>Sleep in chair</u>
Pros:
-Easier to snap back to "work" if I hear someone coming
-Only requires 1 small pillow instead of a pillow and blanket
Cons:
-Much less comfortable
-More likely to be noticed since more of me will be visible to a passerby

<u>Sleep under desk</u>
Pros:
-Much more relaxing and comfortable
-Less likely to be noticed, since a glance over at my desk will not reveal my location
Cons:
-If I am discovered, it will be almost impossible to pretend I was doing something other than sleeping
-I will have to bring a blanket or something, I'm not sleeping on the floor
-I could possibly electrocute myself (there are wires and stuff down there)


Also, to hopefully avoid the typical nitty responses: yes I get all my work done, all of it very early in fact. I just don't have that much to do. The network stuff is simple and fast and I can get through a week's work in a day or so quite easily. I've already read 20+ full length books since I've started here. Sleep is the next frontier.

What do you think?
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