Spanish · Body & Health

"I can't sleep" in Spanish: no puedo dormir

no puedo dormir

Say it: noh PWEH-doh dor-MEERphrase/ˈno ˈpwe.ðo ðoɾ.ˈmiɾ/

I can't sleep is no puedo dormir. Soften with No puedo dormir bien. For last night, say Anoche no pude dormir.

Texting a friend

No puedo dormir. Estoy muy despierto.
I can't sleep. I'm wide awake.
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How to pronounce no puedo dormir

Say it

noh PWEH-doh dor-MEER

/ˈno ˈpwe.ðo ðoɾ.ˈmiɾ/

noh PWEH-doh dor-MEER. Stress PWEH and MEER.

"I can't sleep" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
no puedo dormirI can't sleep

Default phrase.

no puedo dormir bienI can't sleep well

Softer complaint.

anoche no pude dormirI couldn't sleep last night

Past night.

no logro dormirI can't manage to sleep

Another everyday option.

How to use no puedo dormir in real life

  1. 1Texting a friend

    No puedo dormir. Estoy muy despierto.

    I can't sleep. I'm wide awake.

    Late-night update.

  2. 2Doctor visit

    No puedo dormir desde hace una semana.

    I haven't been able to sleep for a week.

    Desde hace for duration.

  3. 3Hotel noise

    Con este ruido no puedo dormir.

    With this noise I can't sleep.

    Cause + phrase.

Mistakes English speakers make with no puedo dormir

Incorrect: No puedo sleep.

Correct: No puedo dormir.

Use dormir, not English sleep.

Incorrect: Yo no puedo a dormir.

Correct: No puedo dormir.

No a before the infinitive: no puedo dormir.

Good to know

No puedo dormir is everyday with friends and doctors. People often blame café, estrés, or ruido for no puedo dormir.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Checking in after a sleepless night

  1. ChatPal

    Te ves cansado. ¿Qué pasó?

    You look tired. What happened?

  2. You

    No puedo dormir bien estos días.

    I can't sleep well these days.

  3. ChatPal

    ¿Probaste de manzanilla?

    Did you try chamomile tea?

  4. You

    . Aún así no puedo dormir.

    Yes. Even so I can't sleep.

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"I can't sleep" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "I can't sleep" in Spanish

How do you say I can't sleep?

No puedo dormir.

I can't sleep well?

No puedo dormir bien.

Is the register informal?

No puedo dormir fits friends and clinics.

How do you pronounce puedo?

PWEH-doh.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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