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

Some of the builders were delighted by the strange setup — the sleeping alcoves for him and Lakofski, the balustrade inspired by the chain link of a nearby playground (and, maybe, a little Frank Gehry). — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026

New research presented at an international cancer conference this week suggests that unhealthy sleeping patterns may contribute to the development and progression of breast cancer. — David Cox, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

The main Residential Port includes the living and sleeping areas, featuring space-saving furniture that can be rearranged for different times of the day. — New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026

Keep scrolling to shop more Cozy Earth essentials for lounging, sleeping, and gifting at Nordstrom. — Vivien Lee, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026

That disruption is now translating into a change in sleeping arrangements. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026

If your sleeping woes morph into chronic insomnia, more targeted, long-term solutions might be required, such as CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) or prescription medication. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

First responders described finding Ashley lying in bed in a sleeping position with gunshot wounds to her head. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Prosecutors said there’s no evidence indicating anyone suspicious entered the house before the victim suffered a pair of gunshot wounds to the back of her head while in a sleeping position. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Verb

There were no bedrooms, just sleeping alcoves set into the walls. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026

But the sight of a man sleeping atop the shelter next to a shopping cart caught the attention of onlookers, some of whom pulled out their phones to take pictures, as first reported by KTLA. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Managing your weight, avoiding smoking and alcohol, and sleeping on your side can help manage the condition. — Lindsay Curtis, HEALTH, 27 Sep. 2026

Black said adjustment takes time, including finding the right position and avoiding sleeping on his belly. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2026

The rise of sleep divorce Couples sleeping apart, sometimes called sleep divorce, is more common than many people realize. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Immigrants held in the garage have been shackled while sleeping, the summary of whistleblower allegations continued. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026

The following night, he was discovered lying on his bed, fully dressed except for his shoes, dead from an overdose of sleeping medication, only two weeks shy of forty-two. — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Joe is eventually ordered to go home rather than continue sleeping at the office, but the damage to her family has already been done. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026