SLEEP(3C) Standard C Library Functions SLEEP(3C)

NAME

sleep - suspend execution for an interval of time

SYNOPSIS

#include <unistd.h>

unsigned int sleep(unsigned int seconds);

DESCRIPTION

The caller is suspended from execution for the number of seconds
specified by the argument. The actual suspension time may be less than
that requested because any caught signal will terminate the sleep()
following execution of that signal's catching routine. The suspension
time may be longer than requested by an arbitrary amount because of the
scheduling of other activity in the system. The value returned by sleep()
will be the ``unslept'' amount (the requested time minus the time
actually slept) if the caller incurred premature arousal because of a
caught signal.


The use of the sleep() function has no effect on the action or blockage
of any signal. In a multithreaded process, only the invoking thread is
suspended from execution.

ATTRIBUTES

See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:


+--------------------+-------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+--------------------+-------------------+
|Interface Stability | Committed |
+--------------------+-------------------+
|MT-Level | Async-Signal-Safe |
+--------------------+-------------------+
|Standard | See standards(7). |
+--------------------+-------------------+

SEE ALSO

nanosleep(3C), attributes(7), standards(7)

February 5, 2008 SLEEP(3C)