Synonyms of sleeping

sleeping 1 of 3

adjective

as in asleep

being in a state of suspended consciousness

a roomful of sleeping preschoolers at a daycare center

Synonyms & Similar Words

• asleep
• resting
• napping
• dormant
• at rest
• dozing
• slumbering
• dreaming
• nodding
• drowsy
• sleepy
• somnolent
• comatose
• slumberous
• sleepwalking
• hypnotized
• semiconscious
• reposing
• somnambulant
• mesmerized

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• awake
• sleepless
• wakeful
• aware
• wide-awake
• conscious
• sleepless
• up
• aroused
• awakened
• revived
• wakened
• roused
• astir
• reawakened

sleeping

2 of 3

noun

as in resting

Related Words

• resting
• slumbering
• dozing
• lethargy
• torpidity
• oversleeping
• torpor
• tiredness
• sleepiness
• sluggishness
• drowsiness
• fatigue
• lassitude
• somnolence
• weariness
• doziness

Dissimilar Words

• insomnia
• consciousness
• wakefulness
• awareness
• sleeplessness

sleeping

3 of 3

verb

present participle of sleep

1

as in napping

to be in a state of sleep

the baby slept for the entire length of the car trip

found the night watchman sleeping at his post

Synonyms & Similar Words

• resting
• napping
• dozing
• dreaming
• snoozing
• slumbering
• catnapping
• dropping off
• sleeping in
• hibernating
• nodding off
• drowsing (off)
• oversleeping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• waking
• rising
• arising
• arousing
• awaking

2

as in breeding

to engage in sexual intercourse

if I don't read the tabloids, how will I know who is sleeping with whom this week?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• breeding
• mating
• doing it
• having sex
• copulating
• fornicating
• fooling around

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sleeping

Adjective

An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2026

Noun

Sleep systems Choosing the right sleeping foundation is essential. — Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026

The seat-block option comes four months after United unveiled a new Relax Row option, a row of three economy seats with individually adjustable leg rests that fold up at a 90-degree angle to create a lie-flat sleeping area. — Mason Leib, ABC News, 14 July 2026

In 2011, an anchored boat packed with sleeping tourists sank in Vietnam's scenic Ha Long Bay, killing 12 tourists from nine countries, including two Americans. — CBS News, 13 July 2026

The rear sleeping space features a 53-inch-wide bed for two sleepers. — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Each one can then deflate and roll up into a compact carry size of roughly 26 x 8 in (66 x 20-cm), storing under the sleeping platform without piling high. — New Atlas, 9 July 2026

From there, corridors on either side flow to the main entertaining wing on one side and the private sleeping quarters on the other. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 9 July 2026

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers found five different sleeping pattern subtypes, each with its own distinct brain-imaging patterns, behaviors and health outcomes. — Kate Graham-Shaw, Scientific American, 9 July 2026

Her room had a window overlooking the roof of a vacant building that seemed like a good sleeping spot to Gregg. — Dan Kelly july 8, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026

Verb

The monks emulated Buddha’s journey — walking barefoot, eating one meal a day, and sleeping under the stars. — Deepa Bharath, Fortune, 17 July 2026

Sleep accessories There are those of us who have become accustomed to certain amenities when sleeping, whether that is at a five-star hotel or a backcountry campsite. — Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026

Parts of the hotel date to the 14th century and one can gaze out at the spires and listen to church bells, but the atmosphere is contemporary with an emphasis on food and drink and sleeping rooms with art from ownership's private collection. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2026

Being overheated in their sleep space and not having the infant’s neck straight are also factors, Middlemiss says, adding that being able to see a sleeping infant's whole face is one method to ensure the protection of their breathing. — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 16 July 2026

At night, the entire dining area converts into a 180 x 90-cm (70 x 35-in) bed perfect for sleeping a child or two. — New Atlas, 15 July 2026

The couple sprang into action, woke up their sleeping baby, fled their room and ran up the stairs to a deck to try to get on a lifeboat. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Breaux, 50, was the first victim, sleeping on a bench in Davis’ Central Park when he was fatally attacked. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026

The new model maintains Airstream’s convertible front dinette to create a flexible space for dining, relaxing, or even sleeping for an extra single traveler. — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026