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

All of the sleeping quarters are situated on the lower level, where two primary bedrooms are accompanied by two guest suites and two additional guest bedrooms. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026

Then Digory accidentally unleashes the evil empress Jadis (Emma Mackey, who played Physicist Barbie in Barbie) from a sleeping spell, and chaos breaks out. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Other strategies include encouraging healthy sleeping habits, teaching coping habits such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation, and spending time together. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

For instance, lowering the thermostat while away from home or while sleeping can reduce energy use, while sealing air leaks around windows and doors and maintaining heating equipment can also help lower consumption. — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Goldener Hirsch has a residence rental program that is extremely family-friendly with flexible sleeping arrangements, welcome kits for the kiddos, and babysitting services. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Those roots go back to 1952, when Moncler began in the French Alps as a maker of tents and sleeping bags. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026

There's an interesting layout in this one that prioritizes sleeping capacity over having a particularly generous living space. — New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026

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

Verb

Humans have been sleeping on some sort of mattress for 77,000 years, beginning with leaves and twigs, then innovating through other plant materials and animal hair, eventually reaching today’s many, many foam offerings. — Jaklin Romine oct. 15, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

The last slide of the carousel features a video of himself rocking a sleeping newborn. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

In the premium version of the app, Health Guardian also monitors blood pressure, insulin resistance, and sleeping trends. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026

As another option, travelers who begin their journey wearing contacts can switch to glasses before sleeping or partway through the flight, Kattouf suggested. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Diet, reducing sodium, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, sleeping well and limiting alcohol can make a real difference. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026

Trouble sleeping, for example, is common in Parkinson’s, and exercise can improve sleep. — Jennifer Fields, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Yes, there are buses and road access, but only those sleeping on its shores can experience its beauty from day to night. — Callie Thorpe, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

The blind man nudged the ferrule of his cane into the bulk of the sleeping figure, sidestepped him deftly, and moved on to the end of the block, a stoplight, heavy traffic, cyclists, big scary trucks. — Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026