If the soul sleeps in the grave.....?

after we die,then what about the people who are cremated or are eaten by a animal?We are told by the story of the rich man and Lazarus, that we are very much aware of where our soul is after we die.Paradise and Sheol are described in the scriptures as having a great gulf between them, so common sense tells us that there would be no reason for this divide if the souls were sleeping.When the rich man asked Lazarus to dip his finger in water and touch it to his tongue because he was in torment, doesn't sound like either are sleeping.