Sleep (status condition)
Sleep (Japanese: 眠り Sleeping) is a status condition that causes a Pokémon to be unable to make a move. In the games, it is often abbreviated as SLP.
In the core series games
Effect
Sleep prevents Pokémon from making a move for a random number of its turns (unless it is put to sleep by Rest, in which case it always lasts 2 turns). The specifics vary between generations.
Sleeping Pokémon are vulnerable to Dream Eater, Nightmare, and Bad Dreams.
Generation I
Sleep lasts 1-7 turns (1-3 in the Stadium series); this counter is not reset upon switching out. A Pokémon cannot move on the turn it wakes up.
Generation II
Sleep now lasts 1-5 turns (1-3 in the Battle Tower), and a Pokémon can make a move on the turn it wakes up.
Roaming Pokémon do not flee while asleep.
Generation III
Sleep now lasts 2-5 turns. Using Snore or Sleep Talk while asleep increments a separate counter that resets upon switching out, and the Pokémon wakes up after either counter reaches the number of sleep turns. Attempting to use another move while asleep adds the Snore/Sleep Talk counter to the regular counter and then increments the regular counter.
Roaming Pokémon may now flee while asleep.
Generation IV
Snore and Sleep Talk increment the regular sleep counter.
Generation V
Sleep now lasts 1-3 turns. A Pokémon's sleep counter is now reset to its original amount when switched out (even if self-induced by Rest). Starting this generation, the animations of most Pokémon close their eyes and move more slowly while sleeping.
Generation VI onward
A Pokémon's sleep counter no longer resets to its original amount when switched out.
Appearance
From Generation V onward, Pokémon close their eyes when they are asleep, and their movement slows down.
Core series games
Side series games
Spin-off series games
Causes
Moves
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Other causes
A Pokémon has a 11% chance of falling asleep after making contact with a Pokémon with the Effect Spore Ability. A disobedient outsider Pokémon may take a nap (putting itself to sleep) instead of obeying a command.
Curing
A sleeping Pokémon will eventually wake up on its own, after the required number of turns has elapsed.
A sleeping Pokémon can be awoken by an Awakening or a Chesto Berry (Mint Berry in Generation II). In addition, like all other major status conditions, it can be cured by the items Full Heal, Rage Candy Bar, Lava Cookie, Old Gateau, Casteliacone, Lumiose Galette, Shalour Sable, Big Malasada, Full Restore, Heal Powder, Lum Berry (MiracleBerry in Generation II), and Sacred Ash. In Generation I core series games and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the Poké Flute can be used in battle to wake up a sleeping Pokémon (without being consumed). In the Generation III and IV core series games and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the Blue Flute can be used to wake up a sleeping Pokémon (without being consumed).
The move Uproar wakes up all sleeping Pokémon on the field when used, and in Generation III and IV, wakes up sleeping Pokémon on the field at the end of each turn or when they would use a move. The moves Heal Bell (unless the Pokémon has Soundproof as their Ability in Generation III and IV) and Aromatherapy remove the sleep condition from all Pokémon in the user's party. If its target is sleeping, Wake-Up Slap will wake it up in addition to becoming more powerful. If a Pokémon has the Ability Insomnia or Vital Spirit, it will wake up if it is ever asleep; the move Worry Seed changes the target's Ability to Insomnia. In Generation I only, using Haze wakes up a sleeping opponent.
Pokémon with Natural Cure are cured of any status conditions when switched out. At the end of the turn, Pokémon with the Ability Hydration will be cured if is raining, Pokémon with Shed Skin have a 1/3 chance of being cured, Pokémon with Healer have a 30% chance of curing their allies, and Pokémon with high Affection have a chance of being cured.
In Pokémon Colosseum and XD, the Call option (which replaces the usual Run option) can be used to awaken sleeping Pokémon.
Prevention
Pokémon with the Insomnia or Vital Spirit Abilities cannot be put to sleep. Pokémon with Leaf Guard will be protected from status conditions in harsh sunlight. Pokémon with Sweet Veil and their allies cannot be put to sleep. Pokémon with the Comatose Ability will act like they are asleep, without actually being asleep, and the Ability prevents them from being put to sleep.
Pokémon with Early Bird will be asleep half the usual amount of turns, possibly causing them to immediately wake up.
While Electric Terrain or Misty Terrain is present, grounded Pokémon cannot fall asleep (including self-inflicted sleep from Rest). Pokémon normally cannot fall asleep while a Pokémon is using the move Uproar.
Advantages
The moves Snore and Sleep Talk can only be used while asleep. Pokémon with Guts and Quick Feet will have their Attack or Speed boosted respectively while they are asleep, but must use the aforementioned moves to completely reap their benefits; Pokémon with the Ability Marvel Scale will have their Defense boosted while asleep.
In the spin-off games
Mystery Dungeon series
- Main article: Sleep-related conditions in Mystery Dungeon
In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, there are several different varieties on the sleeping condition. The standard, Asleep, functions similarly to how Sleep does in the main games. When a Pokémon is asleep, they cannot act for 3 to 6 turns. The sleeping Pokémon can use Snore and Sleep Talk, and is vulnerable to Dream Eater and Bad Dreams.
Rest in Mystery Dungeon is turned into a move that causes a variety of Asleep on the user, named Napping. Napping is similar to Asleep, but when the user wakes, all their negative status conditions will be gone.
Nightmare in Mystery Dungeon is turned into a move that causes a variation of Asleep, named after itself, although it can override a Pokémon that's already Asleep or Napping. When a Pokémon is inflicted with Nightmare, they cannot act for 4 to 7 turns, and takes 8 HP of damage when they awaken.
Other sleep aliments include Yawning, which causes Asleep after 3 turns, and Sleepless, which prevent the previous four conditions from occurring for 11 to 12 turns. Like in the main games, Sleeping can be cured early using a Chesto Berry.
Rumble series
Sleep (Asleep when inflicted in-game) is a negative status in the Rumble series. A Pokémon affected by sleep is unable to move or use any moves for roughly five seconds. However, if the affected Pokémon is controlled by a player, inputting movement or button commands will make the effect wear off faster, with a minimum duration of about two seconds. Sleeping Pokémon rock back and forth slowly while light blue 'Z's periodically rise from its head.
No types are immune to sleep, but Pokémon with the Adept or Steady Special Traits cannot be paralyzed, and those with the Reflector Trait will cause the user of the sleep-inflicting move to fall asleep instead if hit by one.
Rest in the Rumble series causes a different positive status called Mend. It shares similar properties with Asleep, but a Pokémon under this status gradually restores HP while it remains asleep. Additionally, a green healing aura surrounds the Pokémon. Though Pokémon can usually have one positive status and one negative status at the same time, Pokémon under the effects of Mend cannot be inflicted with Asleep.
Pokémon Conquest
In Pokémon Conquest, Sleep prevents a Pokémon from taking any action during their turn, but their Warrior may still use their Warrior Skill or item. Sleep can be cured through certain Warrior Skills, items, or by ending a Pokémon's turn in a hot spring or a water bucket. There is also a chance for sleeping Pokémon to wake up when they are attacked or at the start of their turn.
Sleep can be inflicted by abilities and attacks, but compared to other status conditions, attacks and abilities that inflict sleep are rare: there is only one attack to inflict Sleep, Munna's Hypnosis, and only three abilities to inflict sleep, one of which is exclusive to Musharna. Sleep can be inflicted on the player's team by Yoshimoto's exclusive Warrior Skill Grace, which fully heals the player's army then puts them to sleep.
Pokémon Shuffle
In Pokémon Shuffle, a sleeping Pokémon cannot use any disruptions, its disruption countdown is paused, and takes 20% more damage.
Sleep can be inflicted by Pokémon with the Nap Time or Sleep Charm Skills. The Sleep Combo Skill also boosts damage against sleeping foes.
Fighting, Rock, Ghost, Steel, Grass, Ice, Dragon, and Dark-type Pokémon are immune to sleep.
In the anime
Sleeping is a status condition that has been present since the early days of the anime. When used in battle, it often forces the afflicted Pokémon to be recalled. Uses of sleep in major episodes and movies include:
- Sleeping was first used in battle in Pokémon - I Choose You! by a Trainer's Gengar in the Pokémon League. Gengar's Hypnosis put the opponent's Nidorino to sleep, forcing the Nidorino's Trainer to recall it and send Onix out in its place.
- In Challenge of the Samurai, Ash's Butterfree used Sleep Powder to calm a swarm of Beedrill. He later tried to use Sleep Powder on Misty's Staryu in The Water Flowers of Cerulean City, but Staryu avoided its effects by diving underwater.
- In Hypno's Naptime, the abuse of Hypno's Hypnosis had been causing the Pokémon of HopHopHop Town to fall asleep without warning. It put the town's children, as well as Misty, under a trance, in which they would run away to a pond and start acting like Pokémon.
- In The Ninja Poké-Showdown, Koga's Venomoth used Sleep Powder on Ash's Pidgeotto during their Gym battle, forcing Ash to recall the Bird Pokémon
and send Charmander out in its place.
- A Jigglypuff that has followed Ash and his friends almost always uses Sing whenever it appears. Whenever it discovers that its "audience" slept through its song, the Balloon Pokémon would doodle on the sleeping Pokémon and people before leaving in a huff. However, its songs have still helped out Ash and the people he has met from time to time. In its debut episode, its song helped the cranky people of Neon Town finally fall asleep, after which, they woke up much more agreeable and friendly. In the following episode, Jigglypuff's song was able to put back to sleep the angry ancient Pokémon that slept there.
- In The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis, a giant Jigglypuff put a giant battling Alakazam and a giant battling Gengar to sleep with Sing. However, this also puts Ash, his friends, and their Pokémon to sleep, as well.
- In Friend and Foe Alike, Ritchie's Butterfree, Happy, used Sleep Powder on Ash's Squirtle during their league battle. Squirtle, already tired from a previous attack by Jessie, James, and Meowth, was declared unable to battle.
- In Tracey Gets Bugged, Tracey's Venonat used Sleep Powder to put a wild Scyther to sleep so it could be caught and taken to a Pokémon Center.
- In Charizard Chills, Tad's Poliwrath put Ash's Pikachu to sleep with Hypnosis.
- In Ignorance is Blissey, multiple Nurse Joy's Chansey put various Pokémon (plus Jessie) to sleep with Sing at the Pokémon Nurse School.
- In Ariados, Amigos, Aya's Venonat put itself to sleep with Rest during a battle with Jessie's Arbok.
- In As Cold as Pryce, Pryce had his Piloswine use Rest to put itself to sleep.
- In Jirachi: Wish Maker, Butler used his Kirlia's Hypnosis to put Absol to sleep.
- In Going, Going, Yawn, Flannery's Meg put Ash's Corphish to sleep with Yawn.
- In Going for a Spinda, Claire's Spinda put Team Rocket asleep with Hypnosis.
- In The Garden of Eatin', a wild Snorlax used Yawn to put various people and Pokémon to sleep, including Ash and his friends, while using Rest to heal itself. This move was finally countered when Marcel used a Vigoroth against Snorlax. With its Vital Spirit protecting it from sleep, Vigoroth was able to defeat Snorlax, allowing Marcel to catch it.
- In Rough, Tough Jigglypuff, a wild Jigglypuff put Ash, his friends, Team Rocket, Mitch Mitchum, and several Pokémon, including Ash's Pikachu, asleep with its Sing.
- In Wheel of Frontier, Ash's Snorlax used Rest and went to sleep while being frozen by Greta's Medicham's Ice Punch.
- In Harley Rides Again, May's Munchlax's Metronome landed on Rest during the Appeals Round of the Wisteria Contest. She was able to wake Munchlax up by throwing it a Pokéblock. Later in the same episode, Harley's Octillery also used Rest to put itself to sleep.
- In Channeling the Battle Zone!, Solidad used her Slowbro's Yawn to put May's Combusken to sleep during their match in the Kanto Grand Festival.
- In Pace - The Final Frontier!, Brandon's Regice went to sleep twice by using Rest in order to recover from the damage taken while battling with Ash's Pikachu.
- A wild Hippopotas, which appeared in Mass Hip-Po-Sis! and Sleight of Sand!, used Yawn several times, putting several characters, including Ash and Jessie, asleep a couple of times.
- In The Rise of Darkrai, Darkrai used its Dark Void in order to warn the people of Alamos Town about the coming attack of Dialga and Palkia. Unfortunately, the Bad Dreams that it caused led Baron Alberto to see Darkrai as a threat.
- In Tanks for the Memories!, Brock's Happiny put Team Rocket asleep with Secret Power.
- In Lost Leader Strategy!, Reggie's Bibarel put Ash's Turtwig to sleep using Secret Power.
- In Playing the Leveling Field!, Fantina's Drifloon, later Drifblim, used Hypnosis to put Ash's Buizel, Chimchar, and Pikachu asleep during Ash's unofficial battle with her. Pikachu and Buizel got affected by Drifblim's Hypnosis again during Ash's Gym battle with Fantina in Shield with a Twist!.
- In Battling The Generation Gap!, Lila's Delcatty put Dawn's Ambipom to sleep using Sing during the Battle Stage of the Celestic Contest.
- In The Lonely Snover!, a wild Snover put Ash, Dawn, Brock, and their Pokémon to sleep with Grass Whistle.
- In League Unleashed!, Nando's Kricketune used Sing to put Ash's Heracross to sleep during their match in the Lily of the Valley Conference. However, Heracross was able to counter it with Sleep Talk.
- In Zoroark: Master of Illusions, Tammy's Tangrowth used Sleep Powder to put Zorua to sleep.
- In The Semi-Final Frontier!, Tobias's Darkrai used a combination of Dark Void and Dream Eater against Ash's Heracross, quickly knocking it out. Darkrai also put Sceptile to sleep, but it managed to wake up just in time to take it out with Leaf Blade.
- In The Island of Illusions!, a wild Foongus put Iris's Axew to sleep with Spore.
- In BWS01, Cilan's Pansage put a wild Gyarados to sleep with Grass Whistle so that Brock could heal its painful wound.
- In Battling on Thin Ice!, Viola's Vivillon was revealed to know Sleep Powder and Fletchling was hit by this move, resulting in its defeat. Vivillon also used Sleep Powder on Pikachu, but he was able to stay awake by using an Electro Ball on himself.
- In Foggy Pokémon Orienteering!, Pikachu, Bonnie, and Dedenne were put to sleep by a wild Amoonguss's Spore.
- In So You're Having a Bad Day!, Bonnie was put to sleep with Spore by a group of wild Foongus. She was awakened by the Chesto Berry brought to her by Dedenne.
- In A Little Rocket R & R!, Goh had his Oddish use Sleep Powder on a giant Magikarp after it resisted his first capture attempt. Goh was able to successfully capture the Magikarp afterwards.
In the manga
In the Ash & Pikachu manga
In An Awesome Showdown!!, Ash's Snorlax put itself to sleep with Rest in order to heal itself during Ash's battle with Greta.
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
In Play Misty for Me, Ash's newly evolved Butterfree put Misty's Gyarados to sleep with Sleep Powder.
In The Indigo Finals, Ritchie's Happy put Ash's Squirtle to sleep with Sleep Powder just as it got knocked out by Squirtle's Skull Bash, resulting in a double knockout.
In Attack of the Demon Stomach, Ash had Jigglypuff put a wild Snorlax to sleep with Sing, allowing him to catch it.
In You Bet Your Wife, Ash's Bulbasaur put Rudy's Exeggutor to sleep with Sleep Powder.
In the Phantom Thief Pokémon 7 manga
In Breaking Into The Enemy's Lair!, Hiori had his Tangrowth put several Galactic Grunts to sleep with Sleep Powder in order to sneak into Team Galactic's hideout.
In Stopping Darkrai!!, a Darkrai put multiple people and Pokémon to sleep with Dark Void, until it itself was put to sleep by Hiori's Mime Jr.'s mimicked Dark Void.
In the Pocket Monsters Platinum: Aim to Be Battle King!! manga
In Walkthrough! Battle Tower!!, Yū's Rotom was put to sleep by a Noctowl using Hypnosis while he was challenging the Battle Tower. However, Rotom was able to immediately wake up thanks to its held Chesto Berry.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
In Wanted: Pikachu!, Red used Saur's Sleep Powder in order to put a wild Pikachu to sleep, making it an easy catch for him.
In Ponyta Tale, Red used Saur's Sleep Powder to stop a mailman's Ponyta, which had become overly excited by Pallet Town's fresh air.
In Valiant Venomoth!, Sabrina tried to put Lorelei's Cloyster to sleep with her Venomoth's Sleep Powder. However, the attack was blown back by Cloyster's Blizzard, causing Green's Nido to fall asleep instead.
In Bang the Drum, Slowbro, Sabrina's Alakazam and Venomoth were put to sleep by Lorelei's Jynx's Lovely Kiss.
In Forretress of Solitude, Red's Snor put himself to sleep with Rest while battling the Pokémon Association's Azumarill.
In Slugging It Out with Slugma, Crystal's Parasee put a group of wild Slugma to sleep with Spore, allowing her to easily catch them.
In Indubitably Ditto, Crystal's Parasee used Spore to put a group of Team Rocket members chasing Suicune to sleep.
In Oh, It's Ho-Oh!, Evan's Haunter put Miles's Persian to sleep with Hypnosis, after which he had Haunter use Nightmare on the sleeping Classy Cat Pokémon.
In Slick Slowking, Gold's Polibo used Hypnosis to put Sham and Carl's Pokémon to sleep. However, they were able to counter this by having their Slowking and Magcargo use Snore and Sleep Talk, respectively.
In Talk About Timing, Treecko, Wally's Roselia put Treecko to sleep with Grass Whistle.
In Very Vexing Volbeat, Tabitha used his Torkoal's Yawn to put one of Amber's Volbeat to sleep.
In Surprised by Sneasel, Silver's Gyarados put himself to sleep with Rest in order heal himself while battling against Sird's Banette. However, Banette used Snatch to steal the move and prevent Gyarados from healing himself.
In Swanky Showdown with Swalot, Lucy's Seviper was put to sleep by a Swalot's Yawn during an exhibition battle at the Battle Frontier opening ceremony. Seviper was, however, quickly woken up thanks to its Shed Skin Ability.
In Moving Past Milotic, Emerald's borrowed Starmie was put to sleep by a Kirlia using Hypnosis during his Battle Pike challenge. Despite this, Starmie was able to use its held Lum Berry to wake up immediately and then counterattack.
In Dramatic Drapion & Crafty Kricketune II, a Scientist's Kricketune put Diamond's Tru to sleep with Sing.
In To and Fro with Froslass, Platinum's Rapidash put himself to sleep with Rest while battling against Candice's Froslass. This, however, worked against Platinum when Candice had Froslass use Wake-Up Slap, which was powered up due to it waking up Rapidash.
In The Final Dimensional Duel VII, Cheryl used her Blissey's Sing to put Mars's Yanmega to sleep during her battle against the Team Galactic Commander.
In The Final Dimensional Duel VIII, Darkrai put Palmer's Cresselia to sleep with Hypnosis. Palmer countered by having Cresselia use Psycho Shift, causing Cresselia to wake up and Darkrai fall to sleep instead. Later during the same round, Charon had Darkrai use Dark Void to put his opponents' Legendary Pokémon to sleep. This was soon countered by Shaymin using Worry Seed on the sleeping Pokémon, changing their Abilities to Insomnia and thus causing them to immediately wake up.
In Malamar Traps, Xerosic's Malamar used Hypnosis to put X's group and their Pokémon to sleep. However, X and Croaky were able to avoid the initial Hypnosis by covering their ears. Croaky was later put to sleep by another Hypnosis from Malamar, needing to be cured by an Awakening from Y.
In the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! manga
In The Mystery Boy, Jun!!, Hareta's Piplup was put to sleep when Mars's Purugly used Hypnosis on it. Jun was able to heal it right afterwards with an Awakening.
In Challenge! The Fortress Of Steel!!, Hareta's Piplup was put to sleep by Byron's Bronzor's Hypnosis.
In Clash! Hareta vs. Koya, Hareta and his Misdreavus were put to sleep by Hypnosis from a Battle Girl's Kirlia.
In The Birth of the Greatest Tag Team?!, Hareta's Minun put Charon's Stunky to sleep with Sing.
In the Pokémon Zensho manga
In Cinnabar Island, Satoshi used his Jigglypuff's Sing to put Articuno to sleep, allowing Blaine to catch it.
In the TCG
In the Trading Card Game, Sleep, called Asleep, is one of the five Special Conditions along with Poisoned, Burned, Confused, and Paralyzed. If a Pokémon is Asleep, it cannot attack or retreat by itself. It must also be turned to the left. After each turn, if a player's Pokémon is Asleep, the player must flip a coin: if heads, the Asleep Pokémon "wakes up" and is no longer affected by the Special Condition. However, if the coin lands on tails, the Pokémon is still asleep. Unlike the Pokémon games, a Pokémon can be afflicted with more than one Special Condition at once; however, some special conditions will erase ones already present.
Trivia
- In the Stadium games, Pokémon make either a snoring or sighing sound when put to sleep; "cuter" Pokémon generally use the latter.
- Prior to Generation III, sleep could not be inflicted as a side-effect of a move that inflicts damage, the only status condition that could not be.
- Prior to Generation IV, sleep was the only non-volatile status condition a Pokémon could inflict on itself (through Rest or disobedience). From Generation IV onward, a Pokémon can burn or poison itself by holding a Flame Orb or Toxic Orb, respectively.
- Not counting fainted, sleep is the only status condition not technically associated with a certain type. Even so, Grass and Normal are the two most common types it is affiliated with.
In other languages
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| Status conditions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| BURN | FREEZE | PARALYSIS | POISON |
| SLEEP | CONFUSION | FLINCH | FAINTING |
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This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |
