睡覺 versus just 睡

[hwangd01]

Hi! I've been learning Mandarin for a few years, but I still can't understand the difference! I read something like the 睡覺 includes the complement of result. Therefore, in my mind, I think of 睡 as "going to bed", and 睡覺 as "falling asleep." However, I've seen these used in ways that defy this understanding. Can someone give me a simple rule for using these 睡 and 睡覺? Thank you in advance.

[leeyah]

There is basically no difference at all, 睡 is the verb carrying the meaning 闭目安息, while 觉 means 睡醒，意识到：

他(正)在睡觉 is the same in meaning as 他睡着 He is sleeping/he fell asleep

If there is any difference I suppose it would be in the position of the main verb 睡:

我昨日在家里睡觉 I don't think 觉 can be omitted here, that is 睡 cannot end the sentence

same in: 他睡了半天 he slept all day and 我很累必须好好的睡一觉 I'm exhausted I really need to get some sleep

or 他睡了一大觉 had some good sleep (and woke up?)

there's also: 她睡午觉了 He took a nap at noon (same as 打盹)

no 睡 ending the sentence, right?

[L-F-J]

there is a song titled “就在这里睡”. google “在这里睡”, seems acceptable.

[Hofmann]

Just a reclarification. Saying 睡 by itself could have some ambiguities. 睡覺 doesn't have any homophones, except maybe 水餃 but that has different tones.