sleeping capsule

3.5

A small pill that you take to help you sleep

noun
/ˈsliːpɪŋ ˈkæpsəl/

: cápsula para dormir

He carefully measured the dosage before taking the sleeping capsule to avoid feeling groggy in the morning.

Examples

To help her relax before bedtime, she took a sleeping capsule that her doctor recommended.
She had put three of the sleeping capsules into Laura's hot chocolate and had been terrified that it might be too much.

Fiction book (1994)
After a long day, he decided to try a sleeping capsule to ensure a good night's rest.

Synonyms

sleeping pill

vssleeping capsule

45 2.9

A tablet you take to help you fall asleep

is a solid oral drug with a two-part hollow shell shape

Ambien

vssleeping capsule

Specialized

22 6.7

A prescription medicine that helps people sleep

is the general solid-form sleep medicine rather than a brand name

sleeping tablet

vssleeping capsule

1 2.8

A small pill that helps you sleep

is the hollow two-part solid form rather than a compressed dose

sleeping draught

vssleeping capsule

Archaic

1 8.2

A liquid medicine that makes you sleep

is a solid oral form rather than a liquid medicine

estazolam

vssleeping capsule

Specialized

9.9

A medicine a doctor prescribes to help people sleep

is the general solid-form sleep medicine rather than a specific chemical

Antonyms

stimulant

5.1

Causing the body or mind to become more active

Surface Forms

sleeping capsule singular

sleeping capsules plural

Morphology

sleeping + capsule

The meaning 'a capsule taken to induce sleep' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'sleeping' (relating to sleep) with 'capsule' (a small pill). This compositional pattern parallels common forms like 'sleeping pill' and is cross-linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Sleeping capsule gives a clear picture: a small capsule that contains 'sleep', like a tiny sleeping package you swallow. That's why it means 'a pill that helps you sleep'.