Search hard around south for a place to sleep (5)
I believe the answer is:
roost
'sleep' is the definition.
(for birds, to roost is to settle down to sleep)
'search hard around south' is the wordplay.
'search hard' becomes 'root' (I am not sure about the 'hard' bit.).
'around' indicates putting letters inside.
'south' becomes 's' (abbreviation).
'root' going around 's' is 'ROOST'.
'for a place to' acts as a link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for roost that I've seen before include "Thin paper" , "somewhere to sleep" , "Settle down (on a branch?)" , "Hen house; perch" , "where fliers land" .)