A method for controlling a sleep mode operation by a Mobile Station (MS) in a communication system. The MS includes transitioning to an awake state in a listening interval of the sleep mode; performing any one of a first operation, a second operation and a third operation in the awake state; and after any one operation is performed, transitioning to a sleep state upon detecting that there is no data to transmit to the BS and there is no data to be received from the BS. The first operation is a process of receiving data from the BS, the second operation is a process of transmitting data to the BS, and the third operation is a process of receiving data from the BS and receiving data from the BS.