The state of being half-asleep or groggy; not fully awake and therefore confused or absent-minded.
朝、寝ぼけて歯を磨かずに家を出てしまった。
In the morning I was half-asleep and left the house without brushing my teeth.
彼は寝ぼけて電話に出て、変なことを話してしまった。
He answered the phone half-asleep and said something strange.
子どもが夜中に寝ぼけて泣き出した。
The child woke up half-asleep and started crying in the middle of the night.
寝ぼけ眼で時計を見たら、もう出発の時間だった。
I looked at the clock bleary-eyed and it was already time to leave.