For many people, sleeping is one of the best things in the world. For us at billerbeck – your sleep experts – this activity also has a very special significance. Because a good night’s sleep is not only beautiful and relaxing, it is also important for our body and mind.
You can tell how omnipresent sleep is in our everyday lives by the number of idioms and proverbs in the German language that deal with sleep in some way. This is reason enough for us to take a closer look at these sayings and their origins and meanings.
Sleeping like a baby
This phrase is used to imply that someone is sleeping soundly. However, most parents will confirm that babies’ sleep is far lighter and more restless than the expression suggests. As a rule, newborns wake up more or less after a sleep phase of around 45 minutes and check their surroundings to see whether there is any danger or whether their mother is still nearby. Even later, babies’ sleep is often characterised by waking phases, whether due to hunger, a full nappy or other needs.
Sleep like a rock or sleep like a log
These idioms are also intended to mean that a person sleeps deeply, soundly and unshakeably and is not disturbed in their nightly rest even by noise and loud noises. Stones as inanimate objects do not really sleep, of course. This expression lives from exaggeration. Marmots, on the other hand, are true sleep artists. These cute rodents can curl up cosily in their winter quarters for up to nine months and enjoy sleeping through the cold season. They live off the fat reserves they have accumulated throughout the summer. Isn’t that marvellous?
Sleep is the best medicine
Even if this saying cannot of course be applied across the board to every illness, there is still a kernel of truth in the statement. After all, sleep is vital for our body to recover and regenerate. We not only benefit psychologically from a good night’s sleep, but also physically: sleeping has a positive influence on our immune system, our performance and resilience. So if you are plagued by an infection, you should take it easy, rest and get enough sleep to give your body the opportunity to regain strength, recover and heal.
Sleeping cap
A few centuries ago, rooms in houses could not be heated well, which is why it was customary to wear a cap to bed at night. This nightcap or nightcap warmed the head during sleep and prevented it from cooling down. Sleeping caps varied in shape depending on gender: Men wore pointed caps, while women tended to wear bonnets. In the course of the 18th century, the term ‘sleepyhead’ became a common term for a person who liked to sleep long and soundly and who was perhaps not fully awake in other ways.
Sleep of the righteous
The saying ‘sleep of the righteous’ refers to several quotations from the Bible. This statement also refers to a person who sleeps soundly, primarily because they have a clear conscience. According to the Bible, righteousness, integrity and virtue characterise the so-called righteous and are the reason for a clear conscience and the peaceful sleep associated with it.
Doing something in your sleep
When someone manages to do something without any effort at all, they are said to ‘do it in their sleep’. In a figurative sense, it means that someone can do something so routinely and is so practised at it that the person does not need a waking mind to accomplish it, but can do it flawlessly even in a phase of sleep.
Sleep on it for a night
If someone wants to take their time with a decision and think it over, it is popularly said that they want to ‘sleep on it for a night’. It can be particularly useful for all those who act and decide quickly and impulsively to take some time and think about a decision. A certain distance in terms of time and possibly also space, as well as a well-rested and alert mind, often make it easier to make the right personal choice.
Never wake a sleeping dog
This saying means that you should really leave things alone that are better left alone. The sleeping dogs in this proverb can be seen as a symbol of the unpredictable. After all, broaching a subject that should or should no longer be addressed can evoke various unexpected feelings in the other person – such as joy, sadness, anger or even fear. For this reason, it is always worth considering whether such sleeping dogs really need to be woken up or whether they should simply be left to rest.
