Upvote:1
From the NET Bible:
The verb κοιμάω (koimaō) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for death when speaking of believers. This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: Believers will one day “wake up” out of death. Here the term refers to death, but “sleep” was used in the translation to emphasize the metaphorical, rhetorical usage of the term. This word also occurs in vv. 14 and 15.
With this in mind, we shouldn't see "sleep" in the Bible and jump to the concept of soul sleep. The passages that mention "sleep" aren't teaching the doctrine of soul sleep.