That expression is " to fall asleep at the switch" .

那个表达就是“to fall asleep at the switch”（玩忽职守）。

Note that " falling asleep at the switch" is less commonly used.

请注意，“falling asleep at the switch”不太常用。

Several publishers were asleep at the switch, and missed the book’s potential.

【asleep】几家出版商掉以轻心，没看到这本书的潜力。