as in insomnia
the inability to obtain adequate sleep
a nagging wakefulness that seemed resistant to all of the standard home remedies
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Recent Examples of wakefulness
During wakefulness, these muscles receive strong neural drive from the brainstem, keeping the airway patent and the airflow laminar.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
That’s followed by periods of contemplation, energized wakefulness, and, purportedly, a vanishing of withdrawal symptoms.
—Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
Everybody wants to sound like her, but no one else can quite replicate the particular sonic grammar of her writing, which unfurls like an intimate dispatch from the blurry edge of sleep and wakefulness.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The company’s key asset is cleminorexton (formerly known as ORX750), which seeks to mimic a molecule in the brain, known as orexin, that helps regulate wakefulness.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
For many women, that gentle nudge toward wakefulness was once easy to sleep through.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Curating your home's color palette can promote wakefulness in some areas and relaxation in others.
—Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 22 Feb. 2026
In 2009, after studying a mother and a daughter who were both short sleepers, Fu published a paper about a variation in a gene called DEC2, which influences the production of orexin, a hormone associated with wakefulness.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Green tea contains caffeine, which can promote wakefulness and alertness.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 7 Jan. 2026
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
That’s followed by periods of contemplation, energized wakefulness, and, purportedly, a vanishing of withdrawal symptoms.
—Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
Everybody wants to sound like her, but no one else can quite replicate the particular sonic grammar of her writing, which unfurls like an intimate dispatch from the blurry edge of sleep and wakefulness.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
The company’s key asset is cleminorexton (formerly known as ORX750), which seeks to mimic a molecule in the brain, known as orexin, that helps regulate wakefulness.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
For many women, that gentle nudge toward wakefulness was once easy to sleep through.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Curating your home's color palette can promote wakefulness in some areas and relaxation in others.
—Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 22 Feb. 2026
In 2009, after studying a mother and a daughter who were both short sleepers, Fu published a paper about a variation in a gene called DEC2, which influences the production of orexin, a hormone associated with wakefulness.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Green tea contains caffeine, which can promote wakefulness and alertness.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wakefulness
Noun
-
The overall work has driven innovations in PTSD treatment, unique needs of women veterans, insomnia, racial disparities in mental health treatment, isolation and trauma, connecting civilians to military community and veteran leadership and continuing service.—
THR Staff,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
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When a veteran tries to stop, the same symptoms that cannabis seemed to quiet come roaring back in potentially dangerous ways – rebound insomnia and nightmares, worsening depression and, in some cases, thoughts of suicide.—
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Venus’ alignment with Uranus can stir up restlessness around communication, money or emotional security.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
-
Energy drinks can cause anxiety, insomnia, and restlessness.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The body adapts to the daily dose, blunting caffeine’s impact on blood pressure, mental alertness and exercise performance.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
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High-energy visible light plays a role in alertness, memory, cognitive function and mood regulation, and it is even used as a treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder, according to the Raleigh Eye Center.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wakefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wakefulness. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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