Difference Between Sleep and Asleep (With Table) 

Resting is in the nature of human beings and animals or any living being. Resting is one of the most prominent things in the life of a loving being as resting provides a being more efficient and energy to work. There are various forms of resting and sleep is one of the major forms of resting in the life of a human being. However, people typically confuse sleep with asleep. 

Sleep vs Asleep 

The main difference between Sleep and asleep is that Sleep can be defined as a state of body and mind that is reoccurring naturally and a process that leaves your body unconscious. On the other hand, asleep is defined as a state of mind and body when you are in the state of sleep. 

Sleep, in other words, is a natural process in which a human, animal, or any living being tends to rest with their eyes closed, generally leaving the beings unconscious in this state. It is an easily reversible periodic state of mind. It can provide a state of relaxation to living beings.

Asleep can be understood as a process or a state of mind and body of a human being or any living being in this world when he, she or it is a night of deep sleep or sleeping fastly or in a peaceful state of mind. It can also be understood as a very brief sleep. 

Comparison Table Between Sleep and Asleep

Parameters of Comparison

Sleep

Asleep

Process

Sleep is a gradual process. 

Asleep is a process when a person is already sleeping. 

Discovery

Sleep was discovered around 450 B.C. 

Asleep was discovered around 460 B.C. 

Action Word

The word sleep is an action word. 

The word asleep is not an action word. 

Condition

Sleep is a state of relaxing your body and mind. 

Asleep is a state of sleepiness. 

ing form

The “ing” form can be used with the word sleep. 

The “ing” form can not be used with the word asleep.

What is Sleep? 

Sleep is different from wakefulness as in this state of mind and body the body is unable to react to the stimuli, however, it has more ability to reach than coma. Sleep is connected to a condition in which the muscles of the human or living body are relaxed and decreased insight of external stimuli.

The dream is one of the most familiar features of sleep. Dream narrative experience of wakened life while continued, however, later it can also be referred to as a fantasy. When a person is asleep, his body systems are under anabolic condition, providing help to the nervous system, immune system, muscular system, and skeletal system. There are various sleep disorders as well, they can be named as followed dyssomnias, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and hypersomnia parasomnias such as sleepwalking and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder; bruxism; and circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Sleeping is an important part of the lives of human beings. However, it shall be done within the limit. Different age groups have different hours of sleeping which are suggested by the experts. Low quality and poor sleep may lead to various bad health states such as obesity, mental illness, etc. People who suffer from sleep problems often suffer mental illness.

What is Asleep? 

Asleep is a natural process and can be understood as a situation or condition when a person or any living being in this world is in the procedure of sleep. Or asleep can also be understood as when the living being is not vigilant and wide awake or on the peak of the things as he or she should be or expected to be.

Numerous people and animals tend to dream while they are in the state of sleep or asleep. Numerous people also tend to snore while they are sleeping. While sleeping numerous people dream, these dreams sometimes tend to be vivid, sometimes tend to be strange. In either of the matter, the body of the human beings or any living being on this earth tends to close their eyes and be complete state of rest.

This leads to leaving their body unconscious of the surroundings. In this state of the body falling asleep, the body is not even able to react to the external stimuli. The word can also be used metaphorically, to mean numb. 

Main Differences Between Sleep and Asleep 

  1. Sleep is a state of mind where the body is in the state of reduced consciousness whereas asleep is a state of mind and body already sleeping. 
  2. Sleep is used as a verb whereas asleep is used as an adverb.
  3. The word Sleep was derived from the old english word “slaep” whereas the word asleep came from the word “sleep”. 
  4. Sleep is used as a noun whereas asleep is used as an adjective. 
  5. Sleep can be used to refer to sexual intercourse while asleep can not be used to refer to sexual intercourse. 

Conclusion 

People might confuse sleep and asleep as the same. However, both of them share a huge difference. Sleep is the state of the body where the body is not active at all, and humans can not react to external stimuli. Generally, a human sleeps at night. While asleep is an adjective that defines the state of sleeping. Sleep and asleep can be understood as a daily process in the lives of humans or animals. 

References 

  1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5196848/
  2. https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article-abstract/14/6/486/2742822