Sleepy Sayings and their Origins

This week we have been dredging the Internet for you to find famous sleepy sayings and their origins. Some of the phrases will be well known to you such as “sleep tight” and “hit the hay”… but did you veer stop and think where the sayings came from? Read our (not exhaustive)  list to find out.

1. Sleep tight – Sleep tight (and don’t let the beg bugs bite). How many of us heard this saying when we were growing up, I wonder? I fair share I would hazard a guess. What does it mean and where does the saying come from? In the 18th and 19th centuries, beds were made with a base made from ropes pulled tight across a frame which supported the mattress. If the ropes were not pulled tight then they would snag and not provide the proper support for a good nights sleep. “Sleep tight” comes from when people wish you a good night’s sleep and it it referring to the ropes your mattress would rest on. If you have a tight ropes you can “sleep tight” and get a good night’s sleep.
2. Hit the hay – i’m going to “hit the hay”. I must have heard this phrase a lot of times. It is one I am very familiar with. The phrase originated in the 19th century when when mattresses were often made stuffed with hay. On  their way to their hay stuffed beds people would often say “i’m going to hit the hay”. The phrase has stuck around and now days people say it when they are on their way to bed.
3. Counting Sheep – A trick from back in the day which has been passed down for getting one’s self off to sleep. If you have ever struggled to get to sleep then someone may have told you to count sheep. You envision sheep jumping across a fence in order and then count them as they do. The repetitive nature of the task is said to make you tired. But where does the saying come from? The saying is referenced in literature from the early 18th century onwards. The mid-19th century is when the saying seems to have become mainstream. Whether or not it works is still up for scientific debate but the activity has been referenced that much in the media that it has now become part of popular culture. 
4. Going to the land of nod – people say “in the land of nod” or “going to the land of nod” when they refer to someone or themselves going to sleep or being asleep. The Land of Nod refers to a biblical location but over time it has adapted to refer to sleep.
5. Burning the midnight oil – this phrase originates in times before electricity was invented when people used oil lamps to work or read late into the night. It means someone who is up late, using the oil reserves. These days it simply means staying up late, usually working or engaging in a hobby or pastime. 
6. Let sleeping dogs lie – this phrase originated in the middle ages when dogs were often used for protection. If they were lying asleep it was usually better to leave them as they were trained to bite. To let sleeping dogs lie when used by us means to leave trouble alone and not wake a sleeping dog and get bitten.