---
name: "sleep"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "coreutils"
version: "9.12-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sleep"
---

# sleep(1)

delay for a specified amount of time

## NAME

sleep - delay for a specified amount of time

## SYNOPSIS

**sleep** *NUMBER*\[*SUFFIX*\]...\
 **sleep** *OPTION*

## DESCRIPTION

Pause for NUMBER seconds, where NUMBER is an integer or floating-point. SUFFIX may be 's','m','h', or 'd', for seconds, minutes, hours, days. With multiple arguments, pause for the sum of their values.

- **--help**

  display this help and exit

- **--version**

  output version information and exit

## AUTHOR

Written by Jim Meyering and Paul Eggert.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: \<bug-coreutils@gnu.org\>.\
 Report any translation bugs to: \<https://translationproject.org/team/\>.\
 GNU coreutils home page: \<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/\>\
 General help using GNU software: \<https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later \<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>.\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

[**sleep**(3)](/sleep/3.md)

Full documentation \<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/sleep\>\
 or available locally via: info '(coreutils) sleep invocation'