Seriously!?!?!?!

[Epi-do]

The officer I am currently working for has got to be one of the ultimate control freaks of the world. I believe I now have proof of this too!

Along with me, there is one other female in the firehouse. She is a very light sleeper, and I tend to snore. On the nights that my snoring is really bad, she ends up going into the training room and sleeping on the couch. I have told her that she can wake me up, but she insists it isn't a big deal.

Apparently, it is a big deal to the officer. The three of us had a meeting last night to try and "solve" the issue. The other girl again reiterated that it isn't a big deal to her. We were told that because there are two beds in the women's quarters, that she needs to be sleeping in there. His solution to the problem: I was told that I have to sleep on my stomach, since most people don't snore when they do that. Yes, that's right, he wants to dictate what I do in my sleep! You have got to be kidding me...

 

[Onceamedic]

and let me get this straight - there are NO men in the firehouse that snore? What do they do? Or do they get private rooms? Do tell.

 

[johnrsemt]

You are having so much fun, with your officer. ask him where in the SOP's it says that he can dictate how someone is to sleep.

 

[rescue99]

If it is that distracting it may need a little medical intervention....for health reasons. Not to please some yutz!

 

[Epi-do]

If it is that distracting it may need a little medical intervention....for health reasons. Not to please some yutz!

Already seen a doc, quite some time ago. I just can't take some of the Rxs at the firehouse or I won't wake up if we get an overnight run. Also, it isn't the first time I have shared a bunkroom with someone at work, and this is the first person that has chosen to go sleep in another room. She is adament that she is a very light sleeper and that it isn't a big deal, that she has done similar things in the past with other people.

 

[Epi-do]

and let me get this straight - there are NO men in the firehouse that snore? What do they do? Or do they get private rooms? Do tell.

They just have to figure out a way to deal with it.

Trust me when I say, I think there are much bigger issues with this officer than my snoring. Every review I have ever had prior to working for him show that I have never been/had a problem until working for him. I am not doing anything any different, so the only thing that has changed is who I am working for. That, however, would be another entire post. I just had to vent about this, and at the same time found it slightly amusing that he thinks he has that much authority.

 

[bunkie]

And then pending you aren't a natural stomach sleeper, you toss and turn all night and go to a call sleep deprived. Smart choice officer! What a jerk that guy is! And is it really such a big deal to the rest of the crew that she's sleeping where she is?

 

[rescuepoppy]

and let me get this straight - there are NO men in the firehouse that snore? What do they do? Or do they get private rooms? Do tell.

Unless there is some policy that says they have to sleep in the bedrooms some of them probobly sleep in other rooms if another is snoring too loud. Just like we do in our station. As long as it causes no problems with the majority of the crew and there is no policy stating that you have to sleep only in bedrooms then sounds as if this officer is just on a power kick and may not have a leg to stand on.

 

[46Young]

They just have to figure out a way to deal with it.

Trust me when I say, I think there are much bigger issues with this officer than my snoring. Every review I have ever had prior to working for him show that I have never been/had a problem until working for him. I am not doing anything any different, so the only thing that has changed is who I am working for. That, however, would be another entire post. I just had to vent about this, and at the same time found it slightly amusing that he thinks he has that much authority.

Tell him to write you up for not sleeping on your stomach. Surely disobying a command would be insubordination, no? See if he's willing to put such a ridiculous request in written form, for all to see. Carry a hidden recorder to capture your conversations in case he's trying to establish a paper trail on you. Have you went to HR with this? Take the write up to HR and advise that he's treating you with bias, trying to make you quit. Start the paper trail in your defense. Beat the old boys club at their own game.

 

[Seaglass]

I'd probably be passive-aggressive and say OK... then completely ignore it if he's not allowed in the bunkroom, or claim you must've rolled back over in your sleep if he is. Meanwhile, I'd be looking up the SOP's and get some ammunition before it comes up again.

It's a bit like what some of us do already when one woman who seriously snores is on duty. She sleeps on the couch, or I do if I'm the only other girl. We're not supposed to do that either. So when confronted, the standard answer is "Oh, sorry, must've fallen asleep watching TV." Only one or two people actually care enough to say anything, though, and they won't wake us up just for that.

ETA: I agree with seeing if you can get a writeup for this one. It would be worthy of framing.

 

[RyanMidd]

I'm one of those very light sleepers as well, and in my experience, I am the minority. As such, I consider it my problem, and I deal with it. I'm of the same opinion, that its "not a big deal", and if she is able to sleep decently somewhere else, case closed. I've slept in bathtubs and behind couches instead of on them, and if it works, who cares who's sleeping on their belly and in what room? You're all adults, and you can figure out what works.

This officer needs to grow up.

 

[46Young]

I'd probably be passive-aggressive and say OK... then completely ignore it if he's not allowed in the bunkroom, or claim you must've rolled back over in your sleep if he is. Meanwhile, I'd be looking up the SOP's and get some ammunition before it comes up again.

It's a bit like what some of us do already when one woman who seriously snores is on duty. She sleeps on the couch, or I do if I'm the only other girl. We're not supposed to do that either. So when confronted, the standard answer is "Oh, sorry, must've fallen asleep watching TV." Only one or two people actually care enough to say anything, though, and they won't wake us up just for that.

ETA: I agree with seeing if you can get a writeup for this one. It would be worthy of framing.

The problem with that is if you say "okay, boss, I'll do whatever you say. I'll lay on my stomach", that encourages him to take it ever farther. You can project assertiveness without being insubordinate. Use some psycholological jiu-jitsu on him.

 

[thatJeffguy]

Spend a buck and buy the light sleeper some ear plugs. I always have a few pair on me and I wear them when I sleep on airplanes, trains, in cars, with snoring roommates.... very comfortable.

 

[Seaglass]

The problem with that is if you say "okay, boss, I'll do whatever you say. I'll lay on my stomach", that encourages him to take it ever farther. You can project assertiveness without being insubordinate. Use some psycholological jiu-jitsu on him.

I've had some bosses like this who were rather psychotic. They wanted me (or other people who worked for them) to object, so that they could claim we were out of line and discipline us, or get rid of us and replace us with friends. If we objected right away, they'd claim we were aggressive and out of control, and immediately find a way to discipline us. But if I kept calm, smiled, and pretended I didn't at all realize this game was going on, it gave me much more credibility with their bosses when I brought it up. It also gave me time to read up on my employment contract and company procedures, so that I knew I had a leg to stand on.

For the much more common variety of boss who isn't actually a malicious psychopath, pretending to work with them at first still gets you somewhere. A lot of them think rejecting any suggestion outright is disrespectful to their authority, so you lose if you do it right away. If you wait and play along for a bit, they're more likely to listen later when you say you tried it and it doesn't work.

So, it's not so much whether I'd take action as when and how.

 

[bunkie]

Spend a buck and buy the light sleeper some ear plugs. I always have a few pair on me and I wear them when I sleep on airplanes, trains, in cars, with snoring roommates.... very comfortable.

How do you hear the alarm if you have plugs in?

 

[thatJeffguy]

How do you hear the alarm if you have plugs in?

I'm a volly, I don't care!

;-)


Just kidding, of course. Our alarms are penetratingly loud and always wake me up. If not, I'm sure someone wouldn't mind kicking me out of bed In this scenario, I'd ask the snorer if they could do me a personal favor and wake me when the alarm goes off. Two responsible, mature adults could easily form a pact like that.

 

[Seaglass]

How do you hear the alarm if you have plugs in?

Most tones are really loud, and some bunkrooms even come with handy floodlights.

I have really sensitive hearing, so everything's just a bit more muffled if I use earplugs. If I want to go use loud equipment, I need both earplugs and earmuffs.

 

[triemal04]

After seeing a little more elaboration on what happened on another forum, a couple of things come to mind.

First, I'll reiterate what 46young said; while this "order" is one that your officer is technically allowed to give, it's one that, if you don't follow it, there really won't be any official repercussions from. I wouldn't worry about it being an official order, more that it's potentially indicative of other problems that you may be facing.

To be honest, I don't know if I'd even consider this an "order." Someone saying that they THINK that you should try something doesn't necessarily equate to them telling TELLING you to do it, and all that goes with being TOLD to do something. It sounds like you've had some previous issues with this person, justified or not, and that may be coloring (both of) your interpretations of what is going on.

I doubt this is as much an issue of your snoring as it is an issue with the other woman sleeping outside the bunkroom; like it or not, true or not, that type of thing is something that can create issues in a station with a mixed occupancy. It may not be a problem with this lady, but the potential (or the potential for people to complain about it or wonder about it) is there, which may be what the officer is trying to prevent. Really, your snoring is not something that is an issue that will be dealt with by the dept; someone sleeping where they shouldn't is. And, like it or not, the reaction to a woman sleeping outside her room in a mixed occupancy station vs a guy doing the same thing in a non-mixed station will be different.

Overall, this isn't something to get worked up over. Keep doing what you are doing and, unfortunately, if the other lady has a hard time sleeping...it's unfortunate, but part of sleeping in a bunkroom; if I had a penny for each time I'd missed sleep because of someone snoring I'd be working for free right now. As I said, if this comes to a head the issue most likely won't be you, but the other person involved in this. And you may want to figure out why your officer is giving you poor evals and doesn't seem to like you; it very well may be the guys a :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:, or it could also be you, or a combo. Not saying that's the case at all, but it's usually a good idea to take a very honest look at yourself in that type of situation just to be safe.

 

[Medic744]

Just out of curiosity how is he going to know how you are sleeping? Going in and checking on you is a violation of privacy. And as someone else posted unless its in the SOPs (and sometimes if it is) who really cares where anybody sleeps. We sometimes have a vollie ride with us and we have 3 beds in one room and one in another. And due to the fact we all have different sleeping habits we usually are spread out all over. We would get no sleep if we had to sleep in the same room. Trust me, I snore, we have a sleep walker, a sleep talker, a light sleeper, a deep sleeper, people who have to sleep with the TV on, and just about anything else you can think of. They cant dictate how you sleep.

 

[Onceamedic]

Just out of curiosity how is he going to know how you are sleeping?

Um... well, he's gonna know she's snoring when he trips over her roommate crashed out wherever she's crashed out instead of in her bed....