Good night: Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Good night: Sleep Tight, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Why do people use this expression?

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 taut, firm mattress for a good night’s sleep. Hence, the phrase “sleep tight” was born. The mattresses were often stuffed using straw, shredded corn husks, or down feathers. These materials attracted bed bugs, and so over time it became a common phrase to say sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.

A typical rope bed frame.