Linux / UNIX: Bash Script Sleep or Delay a Specified Amount of Time

How do I pause for 5 seconds or 2 minutes in my bash shell script?

You need to use the sleep command to add delay for a specified amount of time. The syntax is as follows:

 
sleep NUMBER[SUFFIX]
 

Where SUFFIX may be:

1. s for seconds (the default)
2. m for minutes.
3. h for hours.
4. d for days.

To sleep for 5 seconds, use:
sleep 5
To sleep for 2 mintus, use:
sleep 2m

sleep Command Bash Script Example

 
#!/bin/bash
echo "Hi, I'm sleeping for 5 seconds..."
sleep 5
echo "all Done."
 

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