Can a sleeping watch ground a warship?

Have naval watches fallen asleep and caused a grounding or another serious incident?

Yes, but it is rare because several people are normally on watch and able to keep one another alert.

The panel confirms that sleeping on watch has caused groundings or related accidents in the past. It characterizes the event as unusual because more than one person is normally assigned to monitor the ship and keep the team alert. The brief answer shows why watchkeeping is organized around overlapping human checks rather than a single individual's endurance.