Sleeping is something everyone does every day. It helps our bodies rest and our minds get ready for a new day. People often use special phrases called idioms to talk about sleeping in fun and interesting ways. Idioms are groups of words that mean something different from what the words say by themselves.
In this article, you will learn about 30 idioms about sleeping. These idioms can help you understand how people talk about sleep in stories, songs, and everyday life. Knowing these phrases can make reading and talking more fun and easier to understand.
Idioms about Sleeping
1. Catch some Z’s
Meaning: To take a short sleep or nap.
Samples: After school, I caught some Z’s before dinner. / Mom said she needed to catch some Z’s after working all day.
To Put it Another Way: I took a quick rest. / I had a little sleep.
2. Hit the hay
Meaning: To go to bed to sleep.
Samples: I was very tired, so I hit the hay early. / Dad said it’s time to hit the hay after a long day.
To Put it Another Way: I went to bed. / I got ready to sleep.
3. Sleep like a log
Meaning: To sleep very deeply and well.
Samples: I slept like a log after the big game. / She sleeps like a log when it’s quiet.
To Put it Another Way: I slept very soundly. / I had a deep sleep.
4. Forty winks
Meaning: A short nap or rest.
Samples: I took forty winks during the car ride. / He needed forty winks before the test.
To Put it Another Way: I had a quick rest. / I napped for a little while.
5. Hit the sack
Meaning: To go to bed.
Samples: It was late, so I hit the sack. / After the movie, she hit the sack right away.
To Put it Another Way: I went to sleep. / I lay down to rest.
6. Out like a light
Meaning: To fall asleep very quickly.
Samples: He was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. / After the long trip, I was out like a light.
To Put it Another Way: I fell asleep fast. / I went to sleep right away.
7. Beauty sleep
Meaning: Sleep that helps you look and feel better.
Samples: Mom says I need more beauty sleep to feel fresh. / She gets her beauty sleep before big events.
To Put it Another Way: Good sleep for feeling better. / Rest that makes you look nice.
8. Sleep tight
Meaning: A way to say “sleep well.”
Samples: Mom said, “Sleep tight” before I went to bed. / My dad always says sleep tight at night.
To Put it Another Way: Have a good sleep. / Rest well.
9. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To stay up late working or studying.
Samples: I burned the midnight oil to finish my homework. / She burned the midnight oil before the test.
To Put it Another Way: Stayed up late working. / Worked very late.
10. Cat nap
Meaning: A very short sleep.
Samples: I took a cat nap after lunch. / She had a quick cat nap during the break.
To Put it Another Way: A tiny rest. / A short sleep.
11. Sleep on it
Meaning: To think about something before making a decision.
Samples: I will sleep on it before answering. / Let’s sleep on it and decide tomorrow.
To Put it Another Way: Think more before choosing. / Take time to decide.
12. Dead to the world
Meaning: Sleeping very deeply and not waking up easily.
Samples: After the long hike, he was dead to the world. / She was dead to the world during the loud noise.
To Put it Another Way: In a very deep sleep. / Not waking up easily.
13. In your dreams
Meaning: Something that will not happen, often said jokingly.
Samples: “You’ll be a star someday.” “In your dreams!” / “Can I have a puppy?” “In your dreams!”
To Put it Another Way: That won’t happen. / You wish!
14. Like a baby
Meaning: To sleep very peacefully.
Samples: I slept like a baby last night. / She was sleeping like a baby all night.
To Put it Another Way: Sleep peacefully. / Sleep very calmly.
15. Nap time
Meaning: The time when you take a short sleep.
Samples: It’s nap time after lunch at school. / I like to have nap time on weekends.
To Put it Another Way: A time to rest. / A short sleep period.
16. Sleepyhead
Meaning: A person who feels sleepy or loves to sleep.
Samples: You’re such a sleepyhead this morning! / Don’t be a sleepyhead; it’s time to wake up.
To Put it Another Way: Someone who is sleepy. / A person who likes to sleep.
17. Catch up on sleep
Meaning: To get more sleep after missing it.
Samples: I need to catch up on sleep after staying up late. / She caught up on sleep during the weekend.
To Put it Another Way: Sleep more to feel better. / Make up for lost sleep.
18. Crash out
Meaning: To fall asleep suddenly because you are very tired.
Samples: After the game, I crashed out on the couch. / She crashed out as soon as she got home.
To Put it Another Way: Fell asleep quickly. / Went to sleep suddenly.
19. Light sleeper
Meaning: Someone who wakes up easily from small noises.
Samples: I’m a light sleeper and wake up if it’s noisy. / Mom is a light sleeper and hears everything.
To Put it Another Way: Wakes up easily. / Sleeps lightly.
20. Heavy sleeper
Meaning: Someone who sleeps very deeply and does not wake up easily.
Samples: Dad is a heavy sleeper and doesn’t hear the alarm. / She’s a heavy sleeper on weekends.
To Put it Another Way: Sleeps very deeply. / Hard to wake up.
21. Sleep like a baby
Meaning: To sleep peacefully and soundly.
Samples: I slept like a baby after the trip. / The baby is sleeping like a baby.
To Put it Another Way: Sleep very peacefully. / Rest well all night.
22. Snooze button
Meaning: A button on an alarm clock to get a few more minutes of sleep.
Samples: I hit the snooze button three times this morning. / Don’t forget to stop hitting the snooze button!
To Put it Another Way: A button for extra sleep. / A way to sleep a little longer.
23. Doze off
Meaning: To fall asleep for a short time, often when you are tired.
Samples: I dozed off during the movie. / She dozed off in class after lunch.
To Put it Another Way: Fell asleep briefly. / Took a quick rest.
24. Sleep like the dead
Meaning: To sleep very deeply without waking up.
Samples: He was sleeping like the dead after the long trip. / I sleep like the dead when it’s dark and quiet.
To Put it Another Way: Sleep very deeply. / Not waking up at all.
25. Up with the birds
Meaning: To wake up very early.
Samples: I was up with the birds to catch the sunrise. / Mom is always up with the birds to start work.
To Put it Another Way: Wake up early. / Get up at dawn.
26. Night owl
Meaning: A person who stays up late at night.
Samples: I’m a night owl and like to read late. / She’s a night owl who does homework at midnight.
To Put it Another Way: Someone who stays up late. / A late-night person.
27. Sleep it off
Meaning: To get rest so a problem or feeling goes away.
Samples: I’m tired; I’ll sleep it off and feel better. / He slept it off after feeling sick.
To Put it Another Way: Rest to feel better. / Let sleep fix the problem.
28. Hit the pillow
Meaning: To lie down in bed to sleep.
Samples: After a busy day, I hit the pillow and fell asleep. / She hit the pillow right after dinner.
To Put it Another Way: Went to bed. / Laid down to sleep.
29. Rest your eyes
Meaning: To close your eyes and relax for a short time.
Samples: I will rest my eyes for a few minutes. / He rested his eyes on the couch after school.
To Put it Another Way: Take a short rest. / Close eyes briefly.
30. Sawing logs
Meaning: To make loud snoring sounds while sleeping.
Samples: Dad was sawing logs all night. / She heard him sawing logs during the camping trip.
To Put it Another Way: Snoring loudly. / Making noise while sleeping.
Find the Topics: Idioms About Sleeping
Last Saturday, my friend Sam was very tired after playing soccer all day. When he got home, he said, “I just want to catch some Z’s before dinner.” After a quick snack, he hit the hay right away. He was out like a light in no time.
Later, his little sister Mia told him, “Don’t forget to get your beauty sleep!” Sam smiled and said, “I’m going to sleep tight tonight.” But before bed, he had to finish his homework, so he burned the midnight oil.
The next morning, Sam woke up early, up with the birds, ready for a new day. His mom joked, “You’re such a sleepyhead sometimes!” After breakfast, Sam took a short cat nap while watching TV.
That afternoon, Sam’s dad told him, “Don’t hit the snooze button too many times!” But Sam did just that and ended up dozing off again. At night, Sam said, “I slept like a log and didn’t hear a thing.”
Now, it’s your turn! Can you find and list all the idioms about sleeping used in this story?
Answer Key
- Catch some Z’s
- Hit the hay
- Out like a light
- Beauty sleep
- Sleep tight
- Burned the midnight oil
- Up with the birds
- Sleepyhead
Conclusion
Idioms about sleeping help people talk about rest and tiredness in fun and clear ways. They add color to stories and make conversations more interesting. Knowing these phrases can help you understand what others mean when they talk about sleep. Next time you hear or use these idioms, you will recognize their meaning and enjoy speaking like a native speaker.
