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

More than 1,600 feet of private shoreline gives the property the feeling of a world unto itself, while the main cabin and sleeping cabins create something closer to a family compound than a conventional lake house. — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 10 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

The document includes photos to illustrate what sleeping arrangements run afoul of Sacramento’s camping ordinance and what sleeping arrangements do not. — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 8 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

Overheating has also been linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a fatal sleeping disorder. — Nancy Mattia, Parents, 8 July 2026

Magnesium glycinate is not expected to work like a sleeping pill. — Morgan Pearson, Verywell Health, 7 July 2026

Verb

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

As of January, when the Homeless Trust last tallied the county’s homeless population, 605 people were found sleeping on Miami’s streets — just over half of the county’s entire unsheltered population. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026

People have lined up early — sometimes sleeping there overnight — in hopes of getting in. — Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Franken fake-groped a sleeping woman as a joke, and was then credibly accused of groping numerous women for real. — Katha Pollitt, Washington Post, 10 July 2026

Suites have doors that separate living from sleeping quarters, but even the smallest rooms have a residential feel with armchairs, matching ottomans, and circular dining tables. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026

Despite being more than 20 percent smaller than the 22RB, the company’s latest single-axle trailer still has room for all the essentials, including a kitchenette, bathroom, and two sleeping areas. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 9 July 2026

The shop's Lightcamp package quickly transforms the PV5 Passenger van into a smart mini-camper with indoor/outdoor kitchen and sleeping space for four people. — New Atlas, 9 July 2026

The agency said officers responded to a 911 call from maintenance workers in the morning hours of May 27 and found five people — including two underage girls — sleeping inside a vacant apartment at 730 Franklin Gateway. — Andre Butso, AJC.com, 9 July 2026