5451 sleep

a light sleeper,
a heavy sleeper,

Fast asleep, sound asleep,
in a deep sleep, sleep like a log,
dead to the world,
went to sleep,
fell asleep,
nodded off,
dropped off,
dozed off
went out like a light

Wide awake,
sleepy, tired,
drowsy

to sleepwalk, to talk in your sleep, to toss and turn

dreams,
nightmares
Nap, cat nap, granny nap,
forty winks, dozing,
a bit of shut eye,

to sleep well, to sleep badly

snoring,
sleep apnoea
insomnia

Find the best word or phrase to fill the gaps: more than one answer may be correct.
Check the tense of the verbs.
1. He lies awake night after night. He suffers from ……………………………..
2. I share a room with my brother. Last night I heard him ……………………………………………………
3. Many people feel …………………………… after a big meal.
4. He couldn’t get to sleep after his exciting day. He was …………………………………………..
5. She was trying to watch TV, but she kept …………………………………………..
6. The old lady usually has …………………………………… in the afternoon.
7. He was so tired after running the marathon he ………………………….………. as soon as his head hit the
pillow. I brought him a drink, but he didn’t wake up. He was ………………………………….
8. I get disturbed by every little noise in the night. I’m a very ……………………..…………..
9. My dad often has …………………………………………. after his Sunday lunch.
10. I’m really tired today. I didn’t ……………………..…………… I tossed and turned all night.
11. Mum went in to say goodnight to my little sister, but she was already …………………………………
12. I had a good night’s sleep. I ………..………………………..
13. I wasn’t really asleep. I was just …………………………..
14. It didn’t take him long to go to sleep. He ………………………………….. quite quickly.


Informal phrases
For deep sleep –sleep like a log, dead to the world
went out like a light- went to sleep very quickly,
For short sleeps: ‘grab a bit of shut eye’, ‘have forty winks’
cat nap – short sleep like a cat,

granny nap – to sleep through the day as an aged person might do

Answer Key

1. He lies awake night after night. He suffers from ……insomnia…………………..

2. I share a room with my brother. Last night I heard him ……snoring / talking in his sleep…………
3. Many people feel ………drowsy / sleepy…………………… after a big meal.
4. He couldn’t get to sleep after his exciting day. He was ……wide awake………………..
5. She was trying to watch TV, but she kept …nodding off/ dozing off……………………………..
6. The old lady usually has ……a nap……………………… in the afternoon.
7. He was so tired after running the marathon he ……went out like a light / fell asleep……….………. as
soon as his head hit the pillow. I brought him a drink, but he didn’t wake up. He was …dead to the
world / sound asleep…………
8. I get disturbed by every little noise in the night. I’m a very ……light sleeper………..…………..
9. My dad often has ……forty winks / a nap………………………. after his Sunday lunch.
10. I’m really tired today. I didn’t ……sleep well………..…………… I tossed and turned all night.
11. Mum went in to say goodnight to my little sister, but she was already …fast asleep / sound
asleep…………………
12. I had a good night’s sleep. I ……… slept like a log / slept well……..…………………
13. I wasn’t really asleep. I was just ……dozing / napping……………………..
14. It didn’t take him long to go to sleep. He ………dropped off………………….. quite quickly.