寝覚めが悪い

• Reading: ねざめがわるい
• Romaji: nezamegawarui
• Kanji breakdown: 寝 (ne) — to sleep; 覚 (same) — to wake; 悪 (waru) — bad, poor
• Pronunciation: /ne.za.me.ɡa.wa.ɾɯ.i/

Meaning

Unable to sleep with a clear conscience; haunted by guilt; troubled by a bad feeling about something one has done or failed to do.

A phrase from 寝覚め (nezame, waking from sleep) + が悪い (ga warui, bad/poor). Literally 'the awakening is bad,' it refers to the guilt or unease that follows a morally questionable action, making rest impossible. The opposite, 寝覚めがいい, describes a clear conscience. Often used to convey lingering moral discomfort rather than acute regret.

Examples

1. 友人を裏切ったことが寝覚めが悪く、毎晩後悔している。 Betraying my friend weighs on my conscience, and I regret it every night.
2. 不正を黙認した社員たちは、みな寝覚めが悪い思いをしたはずだ。 The employees who turned a blind eye to the fraud must all have had a guilty conscience about it.
3. あんな冷たい断り方をしてしまい、しばらく寝覚めが悪かった。 I felt terrible for a while after turning them down so coldly.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday speech, moral reflection, interpersonal relations

Tone: guilty

Origin & History

From 寝覚め (waking from sleep) + が悪い (poor/bad). Dates to pre-modern Japanese, rooted in the belief that a troubled conscience manifests in restless sleep and an unpleasant awakening.

Cultural Context

Era: Pre-modern–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal