If, when you go into sleep mode, you leave Firefox running, you might well find that it gradually hogs more and more memory. (The same is true when you simply leave Firefox open for a long time anyway, even if you're actively using it).
I've certainly experienced similar problems. I now close Firefox whenever I'm not using it. Also, if I'm using it for any extended period of time, I remember to carry out a memory dump every so often. (To do that, type about:memory into the address bar and hit Enter. Then click on Minimize Memory Usage)