WAKEFULNESS Synonyms: 7 Similar and Opposite Words

wakefulness

noun

as in insomnia

the inability to obtain adequate sleep a nagging wakefulness that seemed resistant to all of the standard home remedies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 wakefulness Orexins help regulate wakefulness, as well as attention, motivation and the brain’s reward system. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026 But in people with narcolepsy, such boundaries become blurred, allowing elements of sleep to intrude into wakefulness in varying ways. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 8 July 2026 The clinical data demonstrated significant improvements in wakefulness and reductions in excessive daytime sleepiness at week eight, outperforming the placebo with a generally favorable safety profile. — Sasirekha Subramanian, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Daytime light helps set the body’s circadian rhythms, which play an important role in sleep, wakefulness, and other brain and body functions. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 25 June 2026 As a result, many night owls feel groggy in the morning because their bodies have not yet fully prepared for wakefulness. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 19 June 2026 That’s followed by periods of contemplation, energized wakefulness, and, purportedly, a vanishing of withdrawal symptoms. — Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026 Everybody wants to sound like her, but no one else can quite replicate the particular sonic grammar of her writing, which unfurls like an intimate dispatch from the blurry edge of sleep and wakefulness. — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026 The company’s key asset is cleminorexton (formerly known as ORX750), which seeks to mimic a molecule in the brain, known as orexin, that helps regulate wakefulness. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wakefulness

Noun

Orexin antagonists were developed as a treatment for insomnia, differing from conventional sleeping pills that induce sedation.

— Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026
Dozens of other patients described symptoms such as anxiety, acute stress and insomnia, according to the report.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of insomnia

Noun

For movement issues, a mattress with better motion isolation can make a partner’s restlessness far less noticeable.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
Symptoms Symptoms can include sleeplessness, extreme worry about the baby or childbirth, restlessness and a racing heartbeat.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of restlessness

Browse Nearby Words

wakeful

wakefulness

waken

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wakefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wakefulness. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of wakefulness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

expeditious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes