Vocabulary about sleeping

​Vocabulary about sleeping

By Joe Diaz

Words for Going to Bed & Sleeping

• Hit the sack / Hit the hay: To go to bed (informal). 

• Drift off / Doze off: To begin to sleep. 

• Fall asleep: To begin sleeping. 

• Catch some Z's / Get some shut-eye: To get some sleep (informal). 

Phrases for Sleep Quality

• Sleep like a log/baby/dog: To sleep very deeply and soundly. 

• Out like a light: To fall asleep very quickly. 

• Not sleep a wink: To not sleep at all. 

• Light sleeper: Someone who wakes up easily. 

• Heavy sleeper: Someone who is hard to wake up. 

Describing Sleep & Tiredness

• Drowsy: Feeling sleepy and wanting to sleep. 

• Sleepy: Feeling tired and needing to sleep. 

• Sleep in / Have a lie-in: To sleep later than usual, especially in the morning. 

• Nap / Cat nap / Siesta: A short sleep, usually taken during the day. 

• Sleep on it: To delay a decision to have more time to think about it overnight. 

Sleep Problems & Related Phenomena

• Insomnia: The inability to sleep. 

• Sleep deprivation: A lack of sufficient sleep. 

• Night terrors: Frightening dreams that cause a person to wake up.

• Nightmare: A bad dream. 

• Sleepwalk: To walk while asleep. 

• Snore: To make noisy breathing sounds while sleeping.