Idioms about sleep and their meaning

Idiom no. 1 – To sleep like a baby

Let’s start this list with an idiom filled with irony. Any person who has had a newborn baby will understand the absurdity of this idiom. “To sleep like a baby” is used to describe that a person will sleep exceptionally well, peacefully, and undisturbed. But, as most people know, babies wake up multiple times a night and usually cry when they do. So why does this phrase describe good sleep? The explanation is simple: when babies are sleeping, they do so peacefully because they have no worries to wake up to, whereas a grown up may subconsciously think about a problem und thus have a restless sleep. Therefore, a baby’s sleep stands for untroubled and peaceful rest. That is the reason why we use this idiom to describe good sleep.

Idiom no. 2 – To sleep on it

“I will sleep on it” – you have probably used this idiom when you had to make an important decision and did not want to make it in a hurry. It is in fact a smart idea to think about a decision, so that it will not be a gut decision but a thought through one. As you can see, “to sleep on it” means to think about something before deciding about the matter. By sleeping on it, you get some distance to the matter and are able to make a decision that will consider more than one side. If you still have the same feeling about the matter the next morning, you are confirmed in your decision. And if you have changed your mind, the time you took to decide helped you consider the matter in more detail. The next time you are asked to make an important decision, take a night to sleep on it. No matter the outcome of your decision, you will feel better when you do not have to give a hasty answer.

Idiom no. 3 – Sleep is the best medicine

A cold is on the horizon? Then perhaps the advice "sleep is the best medicine" comes to mind. Your grandparents probably said this phrase to you many times. As we all know, grandma's advice is often the best, and that is true in this case too, because there is definitely some truth to it. Sleep is hugely important for our health. When we do not get enough sleep, it robs us of important energy. As a result, our immune system is weakened, and we feel drained. When you already feel sick or exhausted, you should especially take this as a warning sign from your body and allow it to rest and get enough sleep. Headaches and many other ailments are often gone the next morning. In short, this saying is logically derived and not far-fetched at all.

Idiom no. 4 – Let sleeping dogs lie

An idiom that probably makes you scratch your head is: "Let sleeping dogs lie". However, the meaning of this idiom is easy to understand when you dive into the origin of the phrase. If someone tells you to "let sleeping dogs lie", your counterpart means that you are addressing something that lies in the past and should better not be taken up again. Often, it is about sensitive issues or disputes that could reopen old wounds if you bring them up. A dog that is sleeping and suddenly awoken can initially react aggressively. By bringing up the subject, you are, so to speak, entering an uncomfortable area that could lead to renewed strife.

Idiom no. 5 – A catnap

Do you know what taking a catnap means? This idiom describes taking a short and light nap. This means that you do not run through all sleep phases and wake up before you drift into deep sleep. Catnaps are less than 30 minutes long. In fact, a study has shown that you are just as well rested after 10 minutes of napping, as you are after more than 30 minutes of sleep. In the end the ideal length of a catnap is dependent on the individual person. But why is it called a catnap? If you have a cat, you might know that cats sleep a lot during the day but are active at night. This comes from the evolutionary fact that cats hunt during the night. During the day, domesticated cats sleep wherever they want to. And because wild cats, the domesticated cat’s evolutionary ancestor, have to be aware of other predators during the day, they do not fall into a deep sleep but are lightly awoken by sounds. Thus, it explains why the idiom catnap stands for quick naps anytime, anywhere.

Idiom no. 6 – To hit the hay

“To hit the hay” does not really sound like it is describing the act of sleeping, does it? This idiom is used when someone wants to tell another person that they are going to bed. But what does hay have to do with sleeping? Until roughly a century ago, people, especially the less wealthy ones, would sleep on mattresses filled with hay. To make the bed more comfortable before they would lie down, people hit the mattress to fluff it. Just like we still do with our pillow. That is where this idiom comes from. You may have heard about a related idiom: “to hit the sack”. Because the mattress was literally a sack filled with hay, “to hit the sack” means the same thing as “to hit the hay”.

Conclusion

Surely you have recognized many, if not all, of these idioms about sleep, but did you also know their meaning? Perhaps you were able to learn a thing or two and now have the necessary background knowledge to understand what is really meant by these idioms. In any case, we wish you a restful sleep "like a rock", just not “with the fishes".😉