In the United States and Canada, it was one of the three tracks that Capitol Records cut from the album and instead included on Yesterday and Today, released two months before Revolver.

[7] While not on tour, Lennon would usually spend his time sleeping, reading, writing or watching television, often under the influence of drugs, and would have to be woken by McCartney for their songwriting sessions.

[8] In a London Evening Standard article published on 4 March 1966, Maureen Cleave, a friend of Lennon, wrote: "He can sleep almost indefinitely, is probably the laziest person in England.

'"[9] The recording of the song began at EMI Studios on 27 April 1966[10] with eleven takes of the rhythm track,[11] comprising two acoustic guitars, bass and drums.

[14] The song features the then-unique sound of a reversed guitar duet played by Harrison in a five-hour late-night recording session with producer George Martin.

[20] The mono and stereo versions of "I'm Only Sleeping" differ in the positioning and length of the backwards guitar parts:[21][22] The Beatles' pioneering studio effects on Revolver proved highly influential on other contemporary artists.

[25] Musicologist Walter Everett cites the inclusion of backwards guitar parts on Crosby, Stills & Nash's 1969 song "Pre-Road Downs" as an apparent "homage" to "I'm Only Sleeping".