Sleeping Curse

"It won't kill you. No, what it will do is far worse. Your body will be your tomb, and you'll be in there with nothing but dreams formed of your own regrets."

- The Evil Queen to Snow White

The Sleeping Curse and the Sleeping Spell are a curse and spell featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the first episode of the first season.

The Sleeping Curse is based on the Wicked Fairy's Curse from the fairytale "Sleeping Beauty", and on Maleficent's Curse from the Disney film, Sleeping Beauty.

Curse Types

 * According to Mr. Gold, the traditional version of casting the sleeping curse is by dipping the tip of a needle in a special blue liquid potion, and putting the needle on a spinning wheel. Once the victim's finger is pricked with the needle, the potion reaches the bloodstream quickly for the curse to take effect.
 * The Evil Queen combined the effects of an apple with the sleeping curse.
 * There is a sleeping spell similar to the curse, but its effects wear off with time as the one Maleficent cast on Prince Charming and Snow White's entire castle and the ones Regina cast on the Lost Boys, Marco and Pinocchio. Maleficent also cast this spell on the entire town of Storybrooke. Zelena has also cast this spell on Belle, Dr. Whale, Robin Hood, the Merry Men and Nurse Ratched, while Hook cast it on Merida.

Curse Effects

 * The victim remains eternally asleep, but the soul is sent to the Netherworld where the person experiences dreams made of his or her own regrets.
 * While under the influence of the curse, the victim's body mimics the appearance of death with no involuntary movement or breathing.
 * According to the Evil Queen, the sleeping curse does not work if inflicted by force. In fact, Snow White, Henry, David and Belle all cursed themselves voluntarily.
 * However, Aurora, Brennan and Dorothy appear to have been cursed against their will.
 * A single drop of the sleeping curse, mixed with sea water and toadstool, puts the person in a state of catatonia.
 * Post-curse victims are repeatedly subject to common, horrible nightmares, which feature a red doorless, windowless room, with fiery curtains and engulfing flames. The dreams fade over a prolonged period of time.
 * According to Mr. Gold, even after a person is awoken from the state of eternal sleep, the soul may still instinctively travel to the Netherworld while unconscious because of the victim's habitual residence there when the curse was still in effect.
 * If a sleeping curse has been cast on someone, that person is immune to the effects of any sleeping spells. This left Mary Margaret Blanchard, David Nolan, and Henry Mills unaffected after Maleficent put the residents of Storybrooke to sleep.

Curse Breaking

 * True love's kiss - The sleeping curse's effects can be lifted with the power of a kiss of true love. Whereas the existence of unconditional true love can be romantic, such in the case of Snow White and Prince Charming, it can also be parental; exemplified by Emma using true love's kiss to free Henry from the sleeping curse.
 * Sharing the Curse - Rarely, the sleeping curse's effect can be turned into sleeping spells by creating the exact same curse and having it taken by lots of people so that its normal effects can be lowered.

Sleeping Curse Victims

 * Archie Hopper (briefly)
 * Aurora
 * Belle French
 * Brennan Jones †
 * Briar Rose
 * David Nolan
 * Doc (briefly)
 * Dorothy Gale
 * Emma Swan (briefly)
 * Granny (briefly)


 * Henry Mills
 * Hook (briefly)
 * Leroy (briefly)
 * Marco (briefly)
 * Mary Margaret and David's shared heart
 * Mr. Clark (briefly)
 * Regina Mills (briefly)
 * Snow White
 * Walter (briefly)

Sleeping Spell Victims

 * Doc
 * Dr. Whale
 * Emma Swan
 * Hook
 * Leroy


 * Lost Boys
 * Maleficent
 * Merida
 * Merry Men
 * Nurse Ratched


 * Robin Hood †
 * Royal Castle inhabitants
 * Sleepy
 * Snow White's horse
 * Storybrooke's inhabitants

Trivia

 * -|On-Screen Notes=

On-Screen Notes

 * The Sleeping Curse can also stop one's pregnancy and make someone unable to accelerate it with an Aging Spell.
 * While under a Sleeping Curse, victims can actually hear everything that is happening near them, like a real coma.
 * This is proven when Emma Swan kisses Henry Mills with the true love's kiss and says that she loves him and Henry immediately wakes up and says that he loves her too.
 * Another case is while Brennan Jones is under the curse, he hears his nurse's voice and falls in love with her. After that, the nurse wakes him up with the true love's kiss.
 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * Henry's notes for Regina's potion ingredients read:

Ingredients to break Sleeping Curse 1) Tongue of newt Eye Tongue!!! 2) Otter spleen 3) Goat tears


 * -|Goofs=

Goofs

 * While under the Sleeping Curse, Belle has been being seen taking deep breaths, even though it is said that one cannot show any sign of life under that curse.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.