Falling asleep in the press box

I haven't yet fallen asleep in a press box. As long as there's coffee, I can stay awake.

The most embarrassing time I remember dozing off was during a committee meeting back when I was student government president. I'd only had two hours of sleep the night before and one of the college's big wigs was giving a presentation to the committee that he was planning to give to the Board of Trustees. The presentation wasn't the most exciting one in the world, but I wouldn't call it the most boring either. However, lack of sleep caught up to me and I dozed off.

I started waking back up by the time his presentation was ending. The funny thing was, the guy looked out at me and said, "I see I have some things I need to work on."

I went up to him and apologized afterward, but he said he took my dozing off as a sign he needed to liven up his presentation.

 

I came really close to dozing off during a Pacers preseason game. I'd student taught that day, getting up at about 5 a.m., after working a desk shift the night before.

I will only say that the press box at the arena in Evansville, Ind., is snooze inducing. If it wasn't for me constantly getting up to get more diet coke (something I almost never do), I'd have fallen asleep. The game was awful, and I could barely see the floor anyway because I'm so short.

 

About five years ago, it was all I could to do keep from nodding off at hockey games. Often, I'd put my head down on the table in front of me between periods to catch a 10-minute power nap. I was worried everybody would think I was drunk of there was something wrong with me. There was. Sleep apnea. Got a breathing machine four years ago and it hasn't happened since.

 

I have a brother-in-law who was a retired Army sergeant, and he could nod off for about 10 minutes or so, seemingly at will. I guess soldiers have to be able to grab a couple of minutes sleep when they can, and it seems like a good talent to have. I could imagine it might be useful to nod off for 5 or 10 minutes and comeback refreshed.