To move restlessly in bed while trying to sleep, usually due to worry, discomfort, or insomnia. To have a restless, troubled night's sleep.
This phrase appeared in English literature by the 16th century, describing the physical movements of someone unable to find comfortable sleep. The alliterative pairing of 'toss' and 'turn' creates a rhythmic expression that mimics the repetitive, frustrated movements of sleepless nights.
The phrase perfectly captures the exhausting irony of insomnia—the more you move trying to get comfortable, the more awake you become. The alliteration makes it almost hypnotic to say, which is fitting for an expression about the elusive nature of sleep itself.
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