feigned sleep; pretending to be asleep
Refers to the act of pretending to be asleep, often to avoid interaction or to deceive someone.
The child pretended to be asleep to avoid being scolded.
When she entered the room, he decided to feign sleep.
Compound of 空 (そら, 'empty' or 'pretended') and 眠り (ねむり, 'sleep'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word transparently means 'pretend sleep'.