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

Orexin antagonists were developed as a treatment for insomnia, differing from conventional sleeping pills that induce sedation. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026

The man woke up, managed to escape from his sleeping bag, and then escaped from the bear. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

The shoulders, hips, waist, and legs do not place equal pressure on a sleeping surface. — Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Duvet cover cleaning frequency depends on the cover material, your sleeping habits, and whether a pet shares the bed. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2026

The swing should only be used for short naps and never for overnight sleeping. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026

Over top that trapezoidal floor, the X-Dome 1+ Pro also has a generous 42-in (107-cm) interior peak height designed for sitting up comfortably, even atop a thick sleeping pad. — New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2026

Sleeper Class includes sleeping berths and cabins for one to three people, some of which include private washrooms. — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026

Items currently being prioritized for donation that can be dropped off at GEM headquarters in Doral include tents, tarps, sleeping bags, blankets and hygiene products. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026

Verb

Most Americans are already sleeping several degrees warmer than what experts suggest. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026

Los Angeles City Council members on Tuesday approved a resolution to remove 12 anti-camping zones around Hollywood, ending a years-long ban that prevented people from sitting, sleeping or camping in certain areas. — Brittney Ermon, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

For weeks, migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta had gathered on a beach away from the city center, sleeping on cardboard sheets, under reed huts and guarding their few possessions in tattered plastic bags. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

In Noth’s social media post, Keets could be sleeping on the hospital bed with his hand pressed against his mouth. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026

One of those, the USS Gerald R Ford, also reported problems earlier this year, from toilets that weren’t working to a laundry fire that briefly stopped combat operations and destroyed some sleeping quarters. — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

But when strange, dangerous things begin to happen to the sleeping clientele, Penny must uncover the mystery before the nightmare spreads beyond the store. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026

Some workers were seen sleeping, so supervisors took away chairs. — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026

Harvard Health points to a 2021 review in the Journal of Endocrinology showing that sleeping just five to six hours a night doubles the risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes compared with sleeping seven to eight hours. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026