Among the three status conditions in Pokemon TCG Pocket, Sleep is the most disruptive. With only one primary cure, a bad run of luck could cost you the match. Here’s everything you need to know about Sleep in Pokemon TCGP and how to counter it.
What Is the Sleep Status in Pokemon TCG Pocket?
When a Pokemon in TCG Pocket is affected by Sleep, it cannot attack, use abilities, or retreat to the bench. Until cured, your sleeping Pokemon is vulnerable, stuck in the active position.
How to Reverse Sleep
In Pokemon TCG Pocket, Sleep can be cured in two ways: landing Heads on a per-turn coin flip or evolving the affected Pokemon.
Each turn, a coin flip determines if your Pokemon wakes up. Since both players get a coin toss every turn, a Pokemon could recover from Sleep in just one turn.
Unlike Paralysis or Poison, repeated unlucky coin flips could leave your active Pokemon useless, asleep for multiple turns.
While you can prepare backup attackers on the bench or hope to draw a Pokemon’s next evolution, your opponent might outpace you, setting up their strategy or dealing enough damage to knock out your Pokemon for an extra point.
A lesser-known method to cure Sleep in Pokemon TCGP involves the Koga Trainer card, which lets you return a sleeping Weezing or Muk to your hand. This option, however, is exclusive to those two Pokemon.
Related: Top Dialga Ex Decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Cards That Inflict Sleep in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Eight cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket can inflict Sleep, including Darkrai, Wigglytuff, and Hypno, with Hypno standing out as the most competitive. Below is the full list, their methods, and how to acquire them:
| Sleep Card | Method | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Darkrai (A2 109) | Via its Dark Void attack, with a guaranteed effect | Space-Time Smackdown (Dialga) |
| Flabebe (A1a 036) | Through its Hypnotic Gaze move, with a guaranteed effect | Mythical Island |
| Frosmoth (A1 093) | Using its Powder Snow attack, with a guaranteed status effect | Genetic Apex |
| Hypno (A1 125) | Via its Sleep Pendulum ability, dependent on a coin flip | Genetic Apex (Pikachu) |
| Jigglypuff (P-A 022) | Through its Sing attack, with a guaranteed effect | Promo-A |
| Shiinotic (A1a 008) | Via the guaranteed secondary effect of its Flickering Spores attack | Mythical Island |
| Vileplume (A1 013) | As a side effect of its Soothing Scent attack | Genetic Apex (Charizard) |
| Wigglytuff ex (A1 195) | As an additional effect of its Sleepy Song attack | Genetic Apex (Pikachu) |
Among all Sleep-inducing cards in Pokemon TCGP, Hypno is the most formidable, able to apply the status from the bench.
Requiring no Energy, Hypno is a stellar support card for Psychic decks, enabling rapid setup of heavy hitters like Mewtwo ex with its Psydrive, especially when paired with Gardevoir’s ability to accelerate your strategy.
Frosmoth and Wigglytuff ex can complement other decks, but Hypno remains the only Sleep card in the current Pokemon TCG Pocket meta that stays competitive without hindering your overall strategy.
Now that you understand the Sleep status and its cures, explore the top Palkia ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket to discover more powerful card combinations.
