fall asleep

Idioms  

1. Go to sleep; also, cease paying attention. For example, As soon as the lights were dimmed he fell asleep, or His lectures are so dull that I fall asleep. The literal usage, which uses the verb fall in the sense of “succumb,” dates from about 1300; the figurative is several centuries newer. Also see asleep at the switch.

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Example Sentences

"As a mother myself, I couldn't even fall asleep at night and images kept flashing in my memory," she said.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

He says you won't fall asleep the second the final whistle blows either because "you're going to get so energised, it'll be difficult to wind down".

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

I fall asleep in Salmon’s bunk bed, lulled by Dragon Masters 5: Song of the Poison Dragon.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

She’d chugged a Red Bull, which she never did, and couldn’t fall asleep.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

After finishing his studying, he often took long walks at three in the morning and didn’t fall asleep till four.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• bed down
• doze
• languish
• relax
• snooze