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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
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Slep(e, Sleip(e, n. Also: scleip, sleepe, sleap(e. [ME and e.m.E. slæp (Orm), slep (1297), slepe (Cursor M.), sleepe (Chaucer), OE slép, slǽp, OFris. slêp, MDu. slaep.]

1. Sleep, the state or fact of being asleep.(1) 1375 Barb. vii 175.
The body vorthis hevy … And to slepe drawis hevynes a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 852.
Sic wil of slepe hyme can ta That in the mydis of the way … to slepe he don lay c1420 Ratis R. 1118.
Can nocht ellis cheld think Bot … On norys and one slep a1500 Seven S. 1067.
He … sparit the wyne & fenȝeit slepe 1513 Doug. iii ix 80.
Sowpit in slepe, his nek furth of the cave He straucht(b) 1490 Irland Mir. I 67/10.
Sleip … had bene principaly ordand for the perfit degestioune 1513 Doug. ii v 7.
Soft vapour of sleip Apon thar wery lymmys fast doith creip 1513 Doug. iii viii 12.
On our irkyt lymmys … The naturale rest of sleip slaid 1513 Doug. vi iv 87.
The slottry Sleip, Dedis cousyng of kynd 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 98.
The Romanis … [are] rycht laborious of litill mete or sleip 1549 Compl. 38/4.
I did spaceir vp ande doune but sleipe, the maist part of the myrk nycht 1567 G. Ball. 58.
This present dede … in to sleip sall changeit be 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 15.
The patient beand without rest and ressone inlakand sleip a1568 Bann. MS 158b/71.
His faice als stiff is for scleip & his ene swowin 1586 Crim. Trials I ii 145.
Quhen as thay bureit in sleip wer takand the nychtis rest(c) 1629 Boyd Last B. 371.
Liue not litherlie as these that are giuen to sleepe the sluggard's lingring sicknesse(2) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2498 (Ch.).
All the nicht he stude and tuke na sleip 1513 Doug. viii vii 84.
The plesand natural sleip … can he tak 1567 G. Ball. 144.
Lord, lat our eine sum sleip do tak 1608 Crim. Trials II 258.
Geve him strait command, that he tak nocht ane wink sleip quhill he sie me agane

b. In various adv. phrases.On slepe (chiefly const. to fall, see Fall v. 3 b for further examples). Cf. Asleip adv.; to (into) slepe (cf. also Lay v.¹ 2 d, 45); of (= from) slepe; in slepe = while asleep or by the means or as a result of being asleep, cf. 2 below.(1) 1375 Barb. vii 192.
[He] fell on slepe a1400 Leg. S. xl 444.
Al men war on slepe c1400 Troy-bk. ii 731.
Symeon persaved … The Troyiens all … One slepe c1420 Wynt. iv 496.
To drynk thai had sik appetyt … Thai fell on slepe rycht hewyly c1475 Wall. iv 225.
The wachman was hewy fallen on sleipe a1500 K. Hart 361.
The dure on chare it stude all wes on sleip 1531 Bell. Boece I 231.
He … commandit ane harpar to sing ane soft sang, to draw him out of hevy materis on sleip 1567 Sat. P. v 75.
Be walkryfe & fall not on sleip a1568 Bann. MS 158a/28.
For ony aw of his maister that schrew fallis on sleip(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 676.
Quhen thai matynis had don, Agane thai went to slepe a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 854 (See 1(1) above). c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2825.
As he to slepe was lyand downe a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 294.
Sall neuer my likame be laid vnlaissit to sleip Quhill [etc.] a1500 K. Hart 358.
To sleip scho went ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 569.
Gangand to sleip, pas with our Lord in the graif 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1717.
The thrid [nurse] to bring him vnto sleip and rest(3) a1400 Leg. S. v 87.
As scho had Vaknyt of slepe a1400 Leg. S. xl 702. a1570-86 Kennedy Maitl. F. 234/2.
In middis of the nicht Waiknit of sleip I saw besyd me [etc.](4) a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 515.
Thame in slepe sa fleyt he That [etc.] a1500 Seven S. 2277.
In the kinrik of Hungry In slepe hir luf saw as scho thocht c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. i 20.
The angel of the Lord apperit to him [sc. Joseph] in slepe

c. With indef. art.: A particular sort or quality of sleep. 1375 Barb. vii 190.
Sic a slepe fell on his man, That he mycht not hald vp his e 1596 Dalr. I 288/10.
The keiperis of the kings chambre, now in a sound sleip, all deid drokne 1622-6 Bisset II 287/16.
Quhilk kynd of rest … wes rather to be termed … a sleip than death

2. A period or occasion of sleep.Const. indef. art., also pl. Also const. first, nychttis, cf. various examples at sense 3.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xvii 162.
Thai … For hewynes fele one a slepe ?1438 Alex. ii 433.
Ane sleip he tais And airly on the morne he rais a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 252.
A dudring daw wald have a sleippl. c1515 Asl. MS I 193/12.
We Scottis men put thaim ay out throu … force and batell and with na morne slepis(2) 1513 Doug. i vii 94.
The quhite tentis of Kyng Rhesus … Betraisit war apon the first sleip 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. i 470.
Primo … somno, first sleip 1558-66 Knox II 373.
Whitther it was the nychttis sleape … that maid hir to forget [etc.]

3. With possess. pron.: (A period or occasion of) sleep as experienced by an individual.Also, (in) one's first slepe, one's nychtis, mornyng sleip.Also const. in (= during), (out, fourtht) of, from one's slepe.(1) 1456 Hay II 124/6.
Turn thé upon thy kerr side, and thare end thy slepe a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 61.
To brek my sleip ane vther quair I tuik a1500 Bk. Chess 84.
He couth nocht kepe Intill his mynd the dremes of his sleipe 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 169/1.
Be also moderate in youre sleepe — c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2050.
In his bed his first slepe nummyn … this Egestus Slew him 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2356.
To walkin ȝow of ȝour first sleip ȝe wald Bene seik the morne — c1580-90 Rules of Health 3.
Lat ȝour La: nychtis reste or sleip be the space of viii houris or thairby(2) c1420 Wynt. iv 507.
Thar thai thaime stekid in thare slepe c1475 Wall. ix 1162.
In to thar slep Wallace him graithit son, Past to Lochlewyn [etc.] 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 121. 15.. Dum Wyf 35.
This nicht in hir first sleip Vnder hir toung thow lay Of qwaiken espin leif(3) c1420 Wynt. v 5559.
Off hys slepe quhen he [wes] browcht, Off this dreme he had gret thoucht 1456 Hay II 6/36.
The squier began to wakyn of his slepe a1500 Lanc. 377.
Out of his slep he stert 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1778.
This gud hound rais and of his sleip did walk a1578 Pitsc. I 67/14.
He wakened fourtht of his sleip a1578 Pitsc. I 394/2.
The king walknit out of his sleip in ane great affray a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 70.
This great noyse … perturbit the Lord Fleayming … from his mornyng sleap 1629 Boyd Last B. 372.
A verse, which … serued for a wakener for to rouse mee from my morning sleepe

b. specif. In the phr. in one's slepe, of an experience forming part of or arising from sleep, and internal to the sleeper, chiefly involving dreams and the like. ?1438 Alex. ii 435.
In his sleip ane voce can cry [etc.] c1420 Wynt. iv 353.
Cresus … dremand in his slepe, thoucht he Wes [etc.] a1500 Seven S. 1738.
This nycht I haf sene in my slepe [etc.] ?a1500 Adv. MS 25.4.14 fol. 100.
Throu a visioun he met in his slep at Dunfermlyn c1500 Rowll Cursing 65 (M).
The mowlis and in thair sleip the mare a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 298.
The tailis That cumis on nycht in visioun in my sleip c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xxxiv 1.
This nycht in my sleip I wes agast 1513 Doug. ii v 37. 1531 Bell. Boece II 298.
The king … was admonist, be ane vision in his sleip, to big ane abbay 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5237.
We … hes dreamit this samin nicht Intill our sleip we haue sene sic ane sicht a1578 Pitsc. I 67/21.
The feir … that he had taine in his sleipe and dreming 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 10.
Hir bairn … leuch in his sleip

4. fig. a. The repose of death. Also const. of deid. b. A state of inactivity or apathy (in affairs or persons).a. 1513 Doug. x xii 140.
The cauld and irny slepe of dethys stres 1567 G. Ball. 89.
O Lord … lycht my eine, That suddand sleip of deide do me na teine 1562-3 Winȝet II 27/23.
Thai schaik vp … as it war the muildis of thame now laid on sleipb. c1420 Ratis R. 1496.
Sa rycht and law is laid to sleip 1562-3 Winȝet I 6/16.
Quhat deidly sleip is this that hes oppressit ȝow, that in sa gret vproir, … ȝe walkin nocht furth of ȝour dreme and in sa gret dainger of deth, ȝe haif na regard of ȝour awin lyues