Sexual Relationships 
Sexual Health Why do people say "sleeping with" to mean sex?
Anon-ymous1 Editor
... even when there's obviously no sleeping going on?
Select gender and age to cast your vote:
Updates:
+1 y
Sorry, should have made the first option be: Don't know, it's dumb.
0 0
What Girls & Guys Said
26 38It's been the slang phrase for sexual intercourse since the 11th century.
... Uh.
Because they hope that someone won't think they are a slut. They still like to pretend. Guys are more likely to say "I'm taking Sally home to f---k". They are not using euphemisms because they don't care about sounding sweeter. I think this is a part of it.
Maybe.
I believe most people sleep afterwards.
Sounds more modest I guess. I don't know.
Hey you do sleep at end you know.
Yeah unless you get up and leave, which happens a lot.
But you already did it soooo
Not sure
so its more discreet.
Yeah but what's the point of that when everyone knows what you're talking about
Some people just don't like saying the word sex, I suppose.
That's dumb.
It is what it is
An euphemism.
A bad one.
I did not coin it
It's just that some try to find a child-friendly sanitized way to mention something we all do, have sex; even the word sex they see view as nasty and reminds them of the act.
"Have/having sex" isn't vulgar or crude. It just is what it is. If it is crude, then it shouldn't be talked about at all in the first place, no? Kids talk about sex all the time, anyway. Kids aren't idiots. And there's no magical forcefield barrier between kid vs. adult.
But for me i love to have sex/fuck or any other cude/vulgar way you can describe it so it doesn't bother me.
We call that euphemism xD it's meant to make the world less harsh and offensive for all those special little snowflakes and also so we can have more nuanced language
It's dumb.
It's actually quite good as rethoric tool to create harsher sounding language even needed.
I was "sleeping with" a girl for 3 years but no sex at all. I've had enough of it and finally broke up :D
Which is exactly my point-- you were actually sleeping weren't you? And not having sex?
But it it's thought that if you living with someone you are certainly having sex with her.
Usually, yeah. But not always, apparently.
it's less direct
No idea
"Sleeping together" became a euphemism for sex because people don't like talking about sex
Which is dumb.
well, unfortunately talking about sex is quite taboo.
I don't know why they call it that. It makes it more confusing talking about it tbh
It's an old term when people were not as vulgar.
The word "sex" isn't vulgar. It just is what it is.
It was vulgar back in the days and certain countries
It was considered vulgar *
@Nonamesbetter18 It ain't anymore.
Yep not anymore but the term “sleeping with” still prevails
@Nonamesbetter18 Yeah... and it's dumb.
Who cares !
it's just a expression that is popular among people to use and implies of having a sexual intercourse without saying the words that are considered vulgar.
"Have/having sex" isn't vulgar or crude. It just is what it is. If it is vulgar, then it shouldn't be talked about at all in the first place, no?
Well no because the expression is still not using any vulgar word like sex and expressions are not that simple and black/white thing because they can mean the same thing but can receive a different reaction depending on the words their use.
"Sex" isn't vulgar. That's what I said.
yes but most people don't think like you so you have to take that as a considerations
Because it's usually done in bed maybe
I guess, but so what?
N you usually sleep in bed
But again, they're not the same thing. Sex is sex and sleep is sleep. They are not synonyms.
Okay whatever
Because they sleep after it? Plus it’s,(most often), done in bed.
because most people have sex in a bed, and when the phrase became popular, saying "Sex" was not considered proper, so they used euphemism
If that's so, sure. But we don't live in 1885 anymore, or whatever.
words stick.
and we are only talking 1950s and 60's