Is Sleeping Nude OK If Neighbors Can See?

It’s refreshing when a post on the “AITA” (“Am I the A–hole?”) subreddit is not about one person in a relationship treating the other person like so much putrid garbage. Occasionally someone pops on to bare their soul, and sometimes, it’s about baring their body. That’s what happened when Reddit user hanging-Out28 had a question about being in his birthday suit in his bedroom. Is he the a–hole for sleeping nude when neighbors can see through his window? Here’s the naked truth.

To make things easier, let’s call this Reddit user John. On May 1, 2023, John asked the semi-benevolent Gods of the AITA Subreddit if he should stop sleeping in the buff. The 28-year-old explained that he’s been living in his home for a “few years,” and he chose it because his bedroom faces east. John likes to rise with the sun.

At some point there was a “treeline that provided a natural barrier between my house and any potential neighbors, so I never saw the need for curtains or blinds along with they are expensive as hell for the nice ones,” he explained. However, his neighbor recently did some work on their house which resulted in removing the trees that previously blocked his window. This led to a clear line between John’s bedroom window, and one of their windows.

Because of the development, John’s neighbor popped by one day to ask him to avoid the windows if he was undressed. “He wasn’t nice about it. But, he wasn’t mean either, just matter-of-factly like he gave me an order and fully expected it to be done like I was his kid or his employee,” John said. Out of respect, John made a concerted effort to avoid the window when naked, but that simply wasn’t good enough for his neighbor, who apparently threatened to call the cops on him. Is he the a–hole?

With over 13,000 upvotes and a little over 5,000 comments, it has been decided by strangers on the internet that John is not the a–hole here. Many felt that if blinds needed to be put up, then it’s on the neighbor to do that. Some folks suggested the OP do a window treatment that would give it a frosty effect. John would still be able to get that early morning sun, without letting it all hang out.

Way back in December 2009, 29-year-old Erick Williamson was also a fan of going commando in the privacy of his own home. Authorities didn’t quite see it that way. According to NBC News, the Virginia man was convicted of decent exposure. Williamson said he was just “exercising ‘personal freedom’ as he spent several hours naked in his Springfield home packing up belongings,” the outlet wrote.

Two separate women told police they saw Williamson nude in his home when they were passing by on separate occasions. A school librarian saw him standing naked in front of his large picture window as she was driving by. Mere hours after that incident, a mom was walking her young child to school on a trail by Williamson’s house when she heard a loud rattle. Once again there was Williamson, completely nude by his doorway.

Perhaps the most damaging part of Williamson’s story is something his roommate told officials. The roommate testified that he’d woken up at 5 a.m. to get ready for work and saw Williamson walking around in the nude with a hard hat. Well, at least the only thing hard was his hat!