You could say that they were *potentially* in Paradise.
Many people have the mistaken idea that Abraham's Bosom in Sheol/Hades was Paradise. However we know from other Scriptures that Paradise is in the third heaven (God's Heaven), and in fact within the New Jerusalem. So it was only AFTER the resurrection of Christ that all the OT saints went to Paradise in the New Jerusalem, and became the spirits of just men made perfect (or both perfect and complete).
But they were not necessarily sleeping in Sheol. Their bodies (when buried) gave the appearance of sleep or repose (and sleep is a metaphor for death in the Bible), but as we know from Luke 16, those saints were very much awake and alive. And during the three days and three nights that Christ was in Sheol/Hades, they all heard Christ preach (or proclaim his victory) to the spirits in prison (both the righteous and unrighteous dead, and possibly the angels chained in Tartarus).
Some of these saints were undoubtedly given resurrection bodies after the resurrection of Christ, and walked about Jerusalem as stated in Scripture. We are not told how long they remained on earth, or whether they accompanied the Risen Lord to Heaven (which is more than likely)
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city [Jerusalem], and appeared unto many. (Mt 27:52,53)