1.
waking up, just after waking
The state or moment of having just woken up. Describes the groggy period immediately after waking from sleep.
寝起きが悪い。
I have trouble waking up.
寝起きの顔を見られたくない。
I don't want people to see my face right after waking up.
彼は寝起きがいいので、目覚ましなしで起きられる。
He wakes up easily, so he can get up without an alarm.
2.
sleeping and waking, daily life in a place
The routine of sleeping and getting up, often used to describe where one lives or stays.
ここで寝起きしている。
I live here (sleep and wake here).
学生時代は友人のアパートで寝起きしていた。
During my student days, I was living at a friend's apartment.
狭い部屋で三人が寝起きしていた。
Three people were living in a small room.
USAGE:
The most common usage is in the phrase 寝起きがいい／悪い, describing whether someone wakes up easily or with difficulty.
COLLOCATIONS:
- 寝起きがいい — to be a good waker, to wake up easily
- 寝起きが悪い — to be a bad waker, to have trouble waking up
- 寝起きの顔 — face just after waking
- 寝起きする — to sleep and wake (live somewhere)
NOTE:
In sense 2, 寝起き takes する to form a verb meaning to sleep and get up (i.e., to live or stay somewhere).