A.W.A.D. - Words Related to Sleep

Sleep has been called temporary death, but there's so much that goes on during that time of repose. While visiting that other world one might walk, talk, grind teeth, and sometimes dream. Your brain is more active while you're asleep than when watching television.

And that's even when you don't walk or talk in sleep. No wonder our language is rife in sleep-related idioms. You can sleep in, on, out, around, with, and over. You can lose sleep over things. You can go without food for a while but you can't cheat on sleep. It demands its dues. According to a report, you would be 25% less alert on just an hour's loss of sleep.

This week's five words are all about sleep.

somniloquy
(som-NIL-uh-kwee) noun
The act or habit of talking while asleep.

[From Latin somni- (sleep) + loqui (to speak).]

diurnation
(dy-uhr-NAY-shuhn) noun
The habit of sleeping or being dormant during the day.

[From Latin diurnus (daily), from dies (day).]

soporose
(SOP-uh-ros) adjective
Sleepy; in an unusually deep sleep.

[From Latin sopor (a deep sleep). Ultimately from the Indo-European root swep-(to sleep) that is also the source of insomnia, hypnosis, and somnambulate (to walk in sleep).]

hypnopompic
(hip-no-POM-pik) adjective
Pertaining to the semiconscious state before waking.

[From Greek hypnos (sleep) + pompe (sending away).]

lychnobite
(LIK-nuh-byt) noun
One who works at night and sleeps during the day.

[From Greek lychnos (lamp) + bios (life).]

Comments

CrystalChick said…
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8 February 2008 at 10:44
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