1 B2 idiomatic informal
To sleep until an illness, discomfort, or bad feeling goes away completely.
"You look terrible — just go home and sleep it out; you'll feel better tomorrow."
inseparable
sleep it out
B2 informal inseparable intransitive
To sleep until a negative feeling, illness, or difficult situation has fully resolved itself.
In plain English
Keep sleeping until the bad thing is over.
What does "sleep it out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To sleep through a difficult period or storm rather than dealing with it while awake.
"The blizzard lasted all night, so we decided to sleep it out in the cabin."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To sleep something out — to push something out through sleep.
Actually means
Keep sleeping until the bad thing is over.
Usage tip
Usually used with a specific problem implied by context ('it'). Less common than 'sleep off'. Can also mean to sleep in a place until morning, though this sense is rare.
Words that pair with "sleep it out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
illness cold jetlag storm hangover fever
How to conjugate "sleep it out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sleep it out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sleeps it out
he/she/it
Past simple
slept it out
yesterday
Past participle
slept it out
have + pp
-ing form
sleeping it out
continuous
Hear "sleep it out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "sleep it out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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