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

Their sleeping bags, a stove and some clothing were inside the tent, but Kaden and Jackson were not located. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

Their sleeping bags, a stove and some clothing were found inside the tent. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Beauer The rearmost of the X8's three segments houses the main sleeping quarters. — New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026

The Milwaukee Brewers are famous for playing sleeping tunes during their opponents’ pregame sessions. — Stephanie Apstein, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Along with the sleeping porches, Schindler designed a rooftop sunbathing terrace and a bathroom equipped with an extraordinary shower featuring roughly five shower heads, allowing bathers to lie down beneath the running water. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Campaign staffers pack sleeping bags and pads, in case they get socked in at a remote village. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

She and Bernard, as envisioned, now regularly host friends and extended family, expanding sleeping capacity with tents on the grounds, which were designed by the landscape studio Eponymous Practice. — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026

The larger, at about 875 square feet, has a sleeping nook, bathroom, and covered porch overlooking the river upstream, while the second, with roughly 520 square feet, includes a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living area, and fireplace. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2026

Verb

Clever touches—in-room iMacs; a choice of colors from the bedside light; two do not disturb signs, one of a person sleeping, the other clearly suggesting that the couple inside are not—make your stay memorable, as do the eager-to-please staff. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026

If a sleeper’s partner sees them sleeping on their back, gently moving them onto their side can reduce the chances of sleep paralysis. — Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026

And the number of unsheltered homeless people in 2026 was only slightly below that of the 108,423 people sleeping outside in 2019, the year Newsom entered office. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026

In an interview with radio personality Mina SayWhat, Magnus Ferrell said his dad was going to come on tour, sleeping on the bus from Detroit to Pittsburgh. — CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Perry and her husband, Robert, both previously busy with other things, suddenly find themselves caretakers sleeping on the floor of their patient’s bungalow. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 27 Oct. 2026

The latest, on Monday, was a £432-million plan to tackle homelessness and people sleeping on the streets. — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026

After surgery, that might mean getting out of bed, taking deep breaths, walking safely, sleeping or participating in physical therapy. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 26 Oct. 2026

Health organizations, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, say too much caffeine can cause significant side effects, including tremors, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, seizures and other complications. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026