the sandman

noun

—used to refer to sleep as an imaginary man who makes people sleepy by sprinkling sand in their eyes

The kids want to stay up late, but they are fighting off the sandman.

Examples of the sandman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The diaries offer a host of insights into American behavior — including what each person was doing the minute before the sandman entered. —Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023