V, S, M (A pinch of fine sand, rose petals, or a cricket)
Duration
1 minute
School
Enchantment
Level
1
This spell sends creatures into a magical slumber. Roll 5d8; the total is how many hit points of creatures this spell can affect. Creatures within 20 feet of a point you choose within range are affected in ascending order of their current hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures).
Starting with the creature that has the lowest current hit points, each creature affected by this spell falls unconscious until the spell ends, the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake. Subtract each creature's hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. A creature's hit points must be equal to or less than the remaining total for that creature to be affected.
Undead and creatures immune to being charmed aren't affected by this spell.
At higher levels
When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, roll an additional 2d8 for each slot level above 1st.
How Sleep plays
You roll 5d8, about 22 on average, and that’s how many hit points’ worth of creatures fall asleep within 20 feet of a point up to 90 feet away. The weakest go first: starting with the creature with the lowest current hit points, each one falls unconscious if its hit points fit into what’s left of the total. There’s no saving throw.
The sleepers stay down for a minute, until they take damage or someone uses an action to wake them. At 1st level it can end an encounter outright: three or four goblins or bandits knocked out in one action. By 5th level most enemies have too many hit points for it to matter.
When to pick Sleep
Low-level bards, sorcerers and wizards. It’s one of the strongest 1st-level spells for the first few levels. Plan to swap it out later.
Finish off the wounded. It counts current hit points, so after a round of fighting it can drop a hurt ogre or the bandit captain.
Know who’s immune. Undead, creatures immune to being charmed, and elves and half-elves (their Fey Ancestry says magic can’t put them to sleep) aren’t affected.
Common questions
Does Sleep allow a saving throw?
No. If a creature’s current hit points fit within the total you rolled, it falls asleep.
Does Sleep affect my allies?
Yes. It affects creatures in the area in order of hit points, friend or foe, so keep wounded allies out of the 20-foot radius.
How do sleeping creatures wake up?
When the minute ends, when they take damage, or when someone uses an action to shake or slap them awake.
Who is immune to Sleep?
Undead, creatures immune to the charmed condition, and elves and half-elves, whose Fey Ancestry means magic can’t put them to sleep.
What happens to a creature put to sleep?
It’s unconscious: it drops what it’s holding and falls prone, it automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saves, attacks against it have advantage, and hits from within 5 feet are critical hits.
Did the 2024 rules change Sleep?
Yes. The 2024 Player’s Handbook rebuilt it around a Wisdom saving throw instead of a hit point total. This page and the builder use the 2014 rules.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook revised many spells, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new text. What changed from the 2014 version above:
Range: 90 feet → 60 feet.
Duration: 1 minute → up to 1 minute.
It now requires concentration.
Casting time
Action
Range
60 feet
Components
V, S, M (a pinch of sand or rose petals)
Duration
Concentration, up to 1 minute
School
Enchantment
Level
1
Classes
Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Tags
concentration
Each creature of your choice in a 5-foot-radius Sphere centered on a point within range must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Incapacitated condition until the end of its next turn, at which point it must repeat the save. If the target fails the second save, the target has the Unconscious condition for the duration. The spell ends on a target if it takes damage or someone within 5 feet of it takes an action to shake it out of the spell's effect.
Creatures that don't sleep, such as elves, or that have Immunity to the Exhaustion condition automatically succeed on saves against this spell.
2024 version from the SRD 5.2. Most tables settle on one edition, so check which one yours uses.
