Charlie periodically sleeps with recurrent cheat (6)
I believe the answer is:
chisel
'cheat' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'charlie periodically sleeps with recurrent' is the wordplay.
'charlie' becomes 'C' (phonetic alphabet).
'periodically' indicates alternate letters (letters must be selected 'every so often').
'recurrent' says the letters should be written in reverse (recurrent can mean turning back).
'sleeps'+'with'='sleepswith'
The alternating letters of 'sleepswith' are 'lesih'.
'lesih' in reverse letter order is 'hisel'.
'c'+'hisel'='CHISEL'
(Other definitions for chisel that I've seen before include "Tool for shaping wood or metal" , "Cutting tool used with hammer" , "Tool with bevelled edge for shaping wood" , "Carpentry tool" , "Sculptor's tool" .)