Idiom
Sleep on it
If you sleep on it, you wait until the next day before making a decision, so you have time to think.
How people use it
People usually say it before agreeing to a big choice: "The offer sounds good, but let me sleep on it." It is a polite way to delay an answer without saying no. You can sleep on a job offer, a purchase, a plan or an idea. The tone is informal and sensible. Many people find that a problem looks clearer after a night's rest, which is the whole point of the advice.
Also said: sleep upon it.
Examples
- The car is a good deal, but I want to sleep on it before I sign anything.
- Ana slept on it and decided to turn down the job in another city.
- If you're not sure about the haircut, sleep on it and book the appointment tomorrow.
Where it comes from
The idea that a night's sleep helps you decide is very old, and English has used versions of this phrase, often "sleep upon it," since at least the 1500s. Similar advice exists in other languages, such as the French "la nuit porte conseil," meaning the night brings advice.
Check yourself
1. A friend says, "Let me sleep on it." What does she want to do?
Answer: Think about it overnight before deciding. Sleeping on it means taking a night to think before you decide.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Before buying the house, Omar wanted to sleep on it.. The idiom means delaying a decision overnight, not deciding at once or sleeping on furniture.
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