Maqsood from:

From: http://blogs.msdn.com/psssql/archive/2008/04/21/how-it-works-what-is-a-sleeping-awaiting-command-session.aspx%5B/url%5D

This issue is as old as SQL Server. In fact, it goes back to Sybase days but continues to fool and puzzle administrators.

A session with that status of sleeping / awaiting command is simply a client connection with no active query to the SQL Server.

The table below shows the transitions from running to sleeping states for a session.

Connect Running

Connect Completed Sleeping / Awaiting Command

select @@VERSION Running

select completed Sleeping / Awaiting Command

The question usually arises around a session that is holding locks and its state is sleeping / awaiting command.

If the client has an open transaction and the client did not submit a commit or rollback command the state is

sleeping / awaiting command.

The situation can be caused by many other variations but it is always a situation where the SQL Server is

waiting for the next command from the client.

Outside a physical connection problem these are always application design issues.

Hope this helps your understanding of what you have observed.