We have all heard the nursery rhyme, but what are the origins (besides the obvious).
According to a staff reporter from The Straight Dope, the phrase "sleep tight" has two possible origins.
- Beds used to have square frames and ropes were tied across the frame in a weave-like pattern and thus sleep tight - don't let the mattress sag. Mattresses also used to be made out of natural materials such as straw, and thus could potentially be a breeding ground for bugs, possibly bedbugs.
- According to the Oxford English Dictionary, tightly in this sense refers to "soundly, properly, well, effectively"
P.S. I would attach a photo of a real bedbug, but I find them disgusting and thus, I chose to include the following - a much happier thought. Click here if you want to see a photo of a real bedbug in a mattress.
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