Words and Expressions to Use for Sleep

Words and Expressions to Use for Sleep (with meanings & examples)

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.)

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?

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.