Words and Expressions to Use for Sleep (with meanings & examples)
Words and Expressions to Use for Sleep
We all sleep — but in English, we don’t always just sleep. We doze, nap, snooze, hit the sack, or even zonk out depending on the situation, the length of sleep, and how tired we feel. Learning a wider range of sleep-related vocabulary will help you sound more natural in everyday conversation, understand films, series, and books more easily, and vary your language in speaking and writing tasks. In this lesson, we will explore common words and expressions used to talk about sleep, grouped by meaning and usage, with clear explanations and natural examples.
Short or light sleep
Catch / have forty winks
Meaning: to have a short sleep, usually during the day.
- Sara was exhausted, so she had forty winks on the train.
- I might catch forty winks before dinner.
Doze
Meaning: to sleep lightly, often unintentionally.
- He dozed off during the meeting.
- Fiona was so tired that she dozed on the train.
Nod
Meaning: to begin falling asleep while sitting, causing your head to drop.
- He nodded in front of the TV after a long day at work.
- She was so tired she kept nodding in her armchair.
Snooze
Meaning: to sleep lightly for a short time.
- I snoozed on the sofa while the rain was falling outside.
- Sean was so tired that he snoozed in front of the television.
Short planned sleep
Nap/catnap
Meaning: a short sleep during the day; catnap is more informal.
- The baby had his afternoon nap.
- I’ll have a quick catnap before the party tonight.
Siesta
Meaning: an afternoon rest or nap, common in hot countries.
- After lunch, Juan went upstairs for his siesta.
- In summer, many shops close for siesta.
Going to sleep
Fall asleep
Meaning: to begin sleeping.
- I was so tired that I fell asleep in minutes.
- She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Hit the hay / hit the sack
Meaning: informal expressions meaning to go to bed.
- I’m exhausted — I think I’ll hit the sack.
- He hit the hay early because he had an early start.
Zonk out
Meaning: to fall asleep very quickly and deeply, usually from exhaustion.
(Very informal.)
(Very informal.)
- He wanted to watch the film, but he zonked out after five minutes.
- After the flight, I zonked out on the sofa.
Sleeping deeply or generally
Slumber
Meaning: a noun meaning sleep; often formal or literary.
- The noise woke him from a deep slumber.
- She lay in peaceful slumber.
Staying in bed longer
Have a lie-in
Meaning: to stay in bed later than usual in the morning.
- I’m looking forward to having a lie-in on Sunday.
- We finally had a lie-in after a busy week.
Sleeping somewhere unexpectedly
Crash
Meaning: to sleep at someone else’s place, usually without planning to. (Informal)
- My friends crashed at my place after the party.
- Can I crash at yours tonight?
Final tip for learners
Many of these words are informal and conversational, so they’re perfect for speaking and everyday writing. Try replacing sleep with one of these expressions in your own sentences to make your English sound more natural.
For more practice, explore:
Sweet dreams — and happy learning 😴
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