Sometimes we say things that don’t mean exactly what they sound like. For example, “hit the hay” doesn’t mean hitting actual hay. It means going to sleep. These are called idioms. People use them to talk in fun or simple ways. In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean “going to sleep.”
You’ll learn what each one means and how to use them. These sayings are easy to remember. Some are silly. Some sound old. But they are still used today. Let’s take a look at how people talk about bedtime without really saying “go to bed.”
Idioms for Going To Sleep
1. Hit the hay
Meaning: To go to bed.
In a Sentence: I’m tired. I’m going to hit the hay. / After the movie, Dad hit the hay right away.
Other Ways to Say: Go to bed / Turn in
2. Hit the sack
Meaning: To go to sleep.
In a Sentence: She hit the sack after finishing her homework. / It’s late. Let’s hit the sack.
Other Ways to Say: Get some sleep / Go to sleep
3. Catch some Z’s
Meaning: To get some sleep.
In a Sentence: I need to catch some Z’s before school. / He went to catch some Z’s after basketball practice.
Other Ways to Say: Rest up / Snooze
4. Turn in
Meaning: To go to bed for the night.
In a Sentence: Grandma turns in at 9 p.m. / I’m ready to turn in after this show.
Other Ways to Say: Go to sleep / Call it a night
5. Call it a night
Meaning: To stop activities and go to bed.
In a Sentence: We played video games, then called it a night. / I’m sleepy. Let’s call it a night.
Other Ways to Say: Head to bed / Be done for the day
6. Crash
Meaning: To fall asleep quickly.
In a Sentence: I crashed on the couch after the game. / She crashed as soon as she got home.
Other Ways to Say: Knock out / Pass out
7. Sack out
Meaning: To go to sleep, especially somewhere not planned.
In a Sentence: He sacked out in front of the TV. / We sacked out in our sleeping bags.
Other Ways to Say: Fall asleep / Doze off
8. Turn off the lights
Meaning: To go to sleep.
In a Sentence: It’s bedtime. Time to turn off the lights. / Mom told us to turn off the lights and sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Lights out / Bedtime
9. Get some shut-eye
Meaning: To sleep for a while.
In a Sentence: Let’s get some shut-eye before the trip. / Dad needs shut-eye before work.
Other Ways to Say: Rest / Nap
10. Lights out
Meaning: Bedtime or time to sleep.
In a Sentence: At camp, it was lights out at 10. / Mom says it’s lights out now.
Other Ways to Say: Go to bed / Sleep time
11. Nod off
Meaning: To fall asleep for a short time.
In a Sentence: He nodded off during the movie. / I nodded off in class today.
Other Ways to Say: Doze / Drift off
12. Drift off
Meaning: To slowly fall asleep.
In a Sentence: She drifted off while reading. / I drifted off during the car ride.
Other Ways to Say: Nod off / Fall asleep
13. Doze off
Meaning: To fall asleep for a bit.
In a Sentence: Grandpa dozed off on the porch. / I dozed off during math homework.
Other Ways to Say: Snooze / Nap
14. Sack time
Meaning: Time to sleep.
In a Sentence: It’s sack time for me. / The kids said it was sack time after dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Bedtime / Sleep time
15. Bed down
Meaning: To lie down and go to sleep.
In a Sentence: We bedded down in our tent. / The dog bedded down by the fireplace.
Other Ways to Say: Rest / Settle in
16. Get your forty winks
Meaning: To take a short nap.
In a Sentence: Dad needs forty winks after work. / I got my forty winks on the bus.
Other Ways to Say: Take a nap / Rest up
17. Zonk out
Meaning: To fall asleep suddenly.
In a Sentence: He zonked out after the pool party. / I zonked out on the bean bag.
Other Ways to Say: Knocked out / Fell asleep fast
18. Tuck in
Meaning: To be put in bed, often by someone.
In a Sentence: Mom tucked me in with a story. / I tucked in my little brother.
Other Ways to Say: Bedtime / Go to sleep
19. Go out like a light
Meaning: To fall asleep quickly.
In a Sentence: He went out like a light after soccer. / I was out like a light last night.
Other Ways to Say: Zonk out / Crash
20. Knock out
Meaning: To fall asleep fast.
In a Sentence: She knocked out after playing in the yard. / I knocked out while watching cartoons.
Other Ways to Say: Zonked out / Fell asleep
21. Fall asleep
Meaning: To begin sleeping.
In a Sentence: I fell asleep reading comics. / She fell asleep on the bus.
Other Ways to Say: Drift off / Nod off
22. Snooze
Meaning: To take a light nap.
In a Sentence: I had a snooze after lunch. / Grandpa snoozed during the game.
Other Ways to Say: Nap / Doze
23. Nap time
Meaning: Time to sleep for a short while.
In a Sentence: After lunch, it’s nap time at school. / Baby brother has nap time at noon.
Other Ways to Say: Rest time / Snooze
24. Sleep like a log
Meaning: To sleep very deeply.
In a Sentence: I slept like a log last night. / She always sleeps like a log.
Other Ways to Say: Deep sleep / Out cold
25. Out cold
Meaning: Deeply asleep.
In a Sentence: After the fair, he was out cold. / I was out cold till morning.
Other Ways to Say: Zonked out / Knocked out
26. Go down for the night
Meaning: To go to sleep for the night.
In a Sentence: The kids went down for the night. / I went down for the night after dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Turn in / Hit the sack
27. Curl up
Meaning: To get cozy and fall asleep.
In a Sentence: She curled up with a blanket and slept. / I curled up with my dog and fell asleep.
Other Ways to Say: Get comfy / Settle in
28. Settle in for the night
Meaning: To prepare for sleep.
In a Sentence: We settled in for the night at camp. / She settled in for the night after dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Get ready for bed / Relax and sleep
29. Dreamland
Meaning: A way to talk about being asleep.
In a Sentence: I drifted off to dreamland. / He was in dreamland until morning.
Other Ways to Say: Sleeping / Out cold
30. Lay your head down
Meaning: To lie down and start to rest.
In a Sentence: I laid my head down and dozed off. / Lay your head down and sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Rest / Go to bed
31. Off to bed
Meaning: Going to bed.
In a Sentence: Time to get off to bed, kids. / I went off to bed at ten.
Other Ways to Say: Turn in / Go to sleep
32. Sleep tight
Meaning: A way to say “have a good sleep.”
In a Sentence: Goodnight, sleep tight! / Mom always says sleep tight.
Other Ways to Say: Rest well / Sweet dreams
33. Sweet dreams
Meaning: A nice way to wish someone a good sleep.
In a Sentence: Sweet dreams, see you in the morning. / Grandma said sweet dreams before bed.
Other Ways to Say: Sleep well / Goodnight
Exercise to practice
- After trick-or-treating on Halloween, I was so tired I just ________ on the couch.
- Mom told me to ________ since it’s a school night.
- I stayed up too late and started to ________ during math class.
- After soccer practice, my brother ________ before he even changed clothes.
- We were all set to ________ in our sleeping bags at the camping trip.
- On the ride home from Grandma’s house, I ________ in the back seat.
- Dad said it’s time to ________ and get ready for bed.
- I had to ________ early so I could wake up for the spelling test.
- After the movie ended, we all agreed to ________.
- I hugged my teddy bear and ________ with my favorite blanket.
- When we got home from the state fair, I ________ like a light.
- My sister was already in ________ before I even brushed my teeth.
Answer Key
- crashed
- hit the hay
- nod off
- knocked out
- bed down
- dozed off
- turn in
- hit the sack
- call it a night
- curled up
- went out
- dreamland
Conclusion
Learning new ways to say “go to sleep” can make talking and writing more fun. Idioms like “hit the sack” or “catch some Z’s” help us sound more natural in everyday life. They also make stories and conversations more colorful.
Now that you know these sleep idioms, try using them when you talk with family and friends. The more you practice, the easier it will be to remember them. Sleep tight and sweet dreams!