40 Winks

[Bangkok]

Various (older) members of my family refer to a short sleep as having 40 winks.  Babies tend to nap in multiples of 40 minutes - is there any connection in the origin of 40 winks?

[Quizmonster]

A 'wink' has meant a short nap since the 1300s. It appears as such in Langland's 'Piers Ploughman', for example. However, 'forty winks' did not make an appearance until the early 19th century. I have no doubt that it refers to the number of minutes, since 40 of them seem to be ideal for a nap. Any shorter and it does not fulfil its purpose of refreshing you and much longer just leaves you feeling even more tired, in my experience.

[kevh_uk]

I once knew an old guy who was having a really hard time sleeping so he went to his doctor to get some sleeping tablets.....the doctor gave him viagra instead by mistake.

The guy wasn't too disheartened though.....he went home and had 40 *****.