睡眠

• Pinyin: shuì mián
• Hanzi breakdown: 睡 = 目 (eye) + 垂 (droop), eyes drooping in sleep; 眠 = 目 (eye) + 民 (people), closing eyes to sleep

Meaning

Sleep. The state of sleeping or the quality of sleep.

A more formal or scientific term for sleep compared to 睡觉. Often used when discussing sleep quality, sleep disorders, sleep patterns, or health-related topics. Common in medical, health, and scientific contexts.

Examples

1. 充足的睡眠对身体健康至关重要。 Adequate sleep is crucial for physical health.
2. 他最近睡眠质量很差，总是半夜醒来。 His sleep quality has been poor lately — he always wakes up in the middle of the night.
3. 医生建议成年人每天保证七到八小时的睡眠。 Doctors recommend that adults get seven to eight hours of sleep per day.

Usage Guide

Context: health, medical, scientific

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 睡眠不足会影响工作效率。(Insufficient sleep affects work efficiency.)
• 改善睡眠质量很重要。(Improving sleep quality is important.)

Don't Say

• 我去睡眠了 — for going to sleep, use 睡觉; 睡眠 is a noun describing the state of sleep

Origin & History

Compound of 睡 (to sleep) + 眠 (to sleep/close eyes), both meaning sleep for emphasis.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal