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

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

Dragon Tiny Homes Finally, at the far end of the home from the entrance lies the sleeping area. — New Atlas, 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

One national showdown and several sleeping giants trying to awaken highlight the Week 5 slate in Georgia high school football. — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 18 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

For readers house-hunting or renovating in the next year, price the option of a second sleeping space now rather than retrofitting later. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Both Makgadikgadi and Laikipia are known for their star beds—open-air sleeping platforms—which can be a fun way to round out the adventures of the day. — Emily Baldwin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2026

Verb

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

Postpartum depression can be anxiousness or sadness, tearfulness, difficulty sleeping. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

Do not wear them while sleeping unless a healthcare provider advises it. — Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026

The research team used this bank of information to compare health outcomes with the nightly tossing and turning of just under 100,000 sleeping participants. — Mike McRae 17, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026

What kind of teenager isn’t playing video games, cracking open bottles of Sparkling Apple Cider or sleeping at midnight on New Year’s Eve? — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026