SLEEPLESS Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

sleepless

adjective

ˈslēp-ləs

Definition of sleepless

as in wakeful

not sleeping or able to sleep lay sleepless with worry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sleepless Nelson remembers hushing her foster children back to sleep that night and calling 911, anxious for an end to those sleepless nights. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026 This month, her mother’s memory-care facility was in an evacuation zone, causing many sleepless nights. — Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026 The London musician’s forlorn and otherworldly new industrial track passes a sleepless night. — Marshall Gu, Pitchfork, 28 Aug. 2026 Like most expectant parents, Briana Faucette heard the typical warnings about sleepless nights. — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sleepless

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleepless

Adjective

In a previous university blog post, Majumdar compared this finding to the brain flushing out byproducts that build up during active, wakeful moments, allowing for a more restful night’s sleep.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Low to medium doses show a reduction in the alpha frequency of brain waves (which correspond to relaxed and wakeful states), along with rising entropy, a signature finding of sober brains sinking deeper into a trip.

— Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024

Definition of wakeful

Adjective

The idea, to hear Chatten tell it, was to shake their listeners awake with a catastrophic warning.

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
That could mean recognizing the same conflict happening repeatedly with a co-worker, lying awake each night with racing thoughts, or turning to food or cigarettes during periods of stress, according to Resnick.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026