The cellar is such a great place to be during the heat of summer. It’s even better if you live where it’s hot AND humid. When I was a kid we played in the cellar during the hot afternoon. Let’s dip into the Famous Phrases box this time.
“Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.” This is a really old phrase.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, mattresses were held on bed frames using a woven rope design. These ropes needed frequent tightening to ensure a tightly stretched, firm mattress for a good night’s sleep. So the phrase “sleep tight” was born. The mattresses were often stuffed using straw, shredded corn husks, or down feathers. These materials attracted bedbugs, so over time it became a common phrase to say, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Rope beds were invented in the sixteenth century and were used less after the invention of the coil spring mattress in 1865.
One of the household chores, normally given to small children, was to use the bed wrench to tighten the ropes every day so they remained tight.
Sleep tight actually means sleep well or soundly. When you say that you are hoping a person has a good night’s sleep. Most of us like to feel snug and cozy in bed.
Credits: Article written by Rebecca Karstensen and posted by Wylie House Museum, January 18, 2018. Photo from the same article and nameberry.com
Article Mythbuster Friday: “Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite” posted by Chadsfordhistoricalsociety, July 4, 2015, Anne Ciskanik
(Some words from these articles were changed to make the articles more understandable for children.)
Fun things to do
Watch this 2-minute video about how bedbugs suck your blood!
Share This Page:
Zeller Cellar Smellers
