Snooze And Tell

@saintssleeping on St Andrews’ Sleepiest Students

It’s a frigid February night. You’re sitting on the top silent floor of the Main Library, debating if another energy drink will get you through this strenuous deadline. As a quick escape, you open Instagram — only to be met with a startlingly familiar face: your own. Last night’s tequila-fueled antics have landed you slumped over a Union chair, and thanks to a quick-thinking friend, you’re now the latest feature on @saintssleeping.

As a self-professed fan of the account, I will acknowledge that I have both submitted and been the subject of multiple posts during my first year. Within minutes of my interview with the creator, we bonded over our shared experiences — both first-years in Agnes Blackadder Hall, dining a few tables apart, and knowing many of the same people.

Since its creation in December 2022, Saints Sleeping has become an integral thread in the fabric of St Andrews student humour, capturing snapshots of the sleepiest — and often tipsiest — students. For the anonymous creator, a third-year STEM student, the idea took shape quite organically: “I was literally just bored,” she recalled. After completing her first semester of first year and finishing exams, she came across a post on St Fessdrews where someone asked if the University of St Andrews had a social media account similar to @icl_sleeping at UCL. Noticing the absence of such a page, she decided to create one to fill the gap.

What started as a niche joke quickly gained traction, propelled by a flood of student submissions. Now, with nearly 4,000 followers and over 2,000 posts, the non-University affiliated account is a cherished staple of town life. The faceless curator manages a steady influx of submissions each day. 

First-year students, in particular, seem to be an endless source of material. “There’s always an influx with freshers,” she noted. “They’re so creative and get a lot of engagement.” On the other hand, third and fourth years contribute less — perhaps a testament to the growing academic pressures. “No one seems to be sleeping at honours level [...] maybe that’s telling of the workload,” she mused.

The range of submissions is wildly eclectic, from “boring ones in bed” to the truly bizarre: “People have climbed trees to sleep and brought pillows and duvets onto scaffolding in town.” Some images are so outrageous they become legendary. “It was unforgettable, I knew I had to pin that submission; it has over 1,000 likes.”

Yet, for all its entertainment value, the account also captures a profound student experience: the balancing act between academic exhaustion and the mayhem of university nightlife. “Sleeping is vulnerable,” the creator reflected. “If you’re willing to laugh at yourself in that state, you can handle anything.”

Despite its popularity, managing the account remains a low-commitment task. “I am totally normal, and I promise I have a life outside of posting students sleeping,” she laughed. “If I’m at an event and feeling out of place, I’ll scroll through submissions or notifications, but it’s low-maintenance overall.” 

As an introvert, the creator enjoys the connection the account brings her without requiring that she step into the spotlight. “My flatmates weren’t even surprised when I told them I ran the account. [I] guess that says something about my personality.”

One question lingered in my mind as I stared at my reflection in the Zoom waiting room: just how many photos of sleeping students does she have stored on her camera roll? As it turns out, not as many as one might think. “I delete submissions in bulk,” she reassured. Though, she admits, she may soon need to transfer them onto her laptop for additional storage.

Monitoring @saintsleeping isn’t without ethical considerations. “I would never want anyone to feel exploited,” she emphasised. “Most people are just doing it to laugh at themselves or with their friends.” The administrator added a disclaimer highlight to the Instagram page in February 2023 to ensure all submissions were consensual. 

“Most people just want to laugh at themselves with their friends. I want to believe that people are responsible enough and have the common sense to not photograph their friend in an unsafe, negative light.” She added, “When someone sends in a submission, they know it’ll soon be online, and if the person featured isn’t happy, I’ll take it down right away.”

The account’s anonymity, the owner believes, is central to its success. Whilst some students have attempted to unmask her identity, the administrator has managed to stay incognito.

Notwithstanding, she admitted, “I’m such a liability, and a terrible liar. If on the brink of getting caught, I tell anyone who cares to listen that I’m @saintsleeping.” She added, “I do worry, however, that if my identity was fully public, people might feel hesitant to submit their photos.”

Beyond the humour, the administrator believes Saints Sleeping offers an unfiltered snapshot of St Andrews student life — how it reflects a wave of how we bond with friends, as well as showing how varying the busy student lifestyle can be. Together, we giggled and pondered the diversity of submissions; from students sleeping in 601 after a night out to those taking a nap in the library basement, sleep-deprived from a mountain of looming deadlines.

As for the future, she teases a possible grand reveal at graduation. “Maybe I’ll walk across the stage holding a sign: “‘I am Saints Sleeping.’” However, she’s undecided on what comes next. “I might let the page die or pass it on to someone who really understands its spirit.” 

Reflecting on its growth, she never anticipated the account’s widespread impact. “If I could tell my past self one thing, it would be, ‘This is going to be way bigger than you think.’”

She grinned, adding, “Honestly I don’t even know the password. I forgot it ages ago, so fingers crossed I don’t get locked out. I’ll deal with that later.”

Illustration by Vera Kaganskaya