The rabbis acknowledged that anyone guarding the Temple at night might fall asleep. The Gemara discusses how the the rabbis dealt with this eventuality: an officer would walk to each guard and wait for a response after he said, "peace be upon you". If he heard nothing, that was considered to be proof that he was asleep and he was beaten with a stick. People would notice the screaming and would claim that the cry came from a Levite sleeping at his post. His clothes might also be burnt.
The Gemara asks about what rabbis in other situations might do. The Tiferet Yisrael teach us that kohanim also burned their clothes. Based on Vayikra (21:8), we learn that we have been commanded to treat kohanim with respect, and so this would not happen in cases where a kohen was involved.
Tosafot Yom Dov tell the officer of the Temple Mounters responsible for the levi'im only. Thus he was only able to reprimand a sleeping Levite.
The Rambam says that the punishments beating and burning clothing should be given equalized between kohanim and leviim.
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