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

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

There are plenty of camper vans with convertible sleeping areas, but few offer a starker difference between day and night. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 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

The contoured curves and precision support zones adapt to back, side or stomach sleeping positions. — ABC News, 3 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

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

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