hitting the hay
Going to sleep
Hitting the hay means going to bed or going to sleep.
The expression likely references the straw-stuffed mattresses once common in rural settings.
It remains a casual, folksy way to announce one's intention to retire for the night: I'm exhausted—time to hit the hay.
The variant "hitting the sack" carries the same meaning.
- bedFurniture for slumber
- slumberLight, restful unconsciousness
- snoozeLight brief sleep
- crashingColliding with force
- napBrief daytime rest
doze · bedding down · nodding off · turning in · early to bed · ready for bed · shut-eye · lights out · forty winks · sack time · repose · siesta · dreaming · beauty sleep · sawing logs · mattress · pillow · sheets
hitting the haywaking up
Emerging from sleep
rising · getting up · rousing · awakening · stirring
hitting the hayhitting the ground running
Starting work without delay
burning the midnight oil · staying up · bright-eyed and bushy-tailed · up and at 'em · up and about