7 German Words For 'Sleep'

When the English language runs out, it so often turns to German. From "Angst" to "Zeitgeist" the German language offers us a window into the human soul.

In my new book, Schottenfreude, I offer 120 new German words to describe emotions and sensations for which there is no English term.

Some of these are frivolous:

#65: Returning to your old school and finding everything feels so small

Some are more serious:

#25: Intimations of mortality when your last surviving parent

All are essentially human.

In writing Schottenfreude it was curious to see how many words related to sleep -- from the "not my ceiling feeling" on waking in a strange room, to pretending to be asleep to avoid unwanted sexual intimacy.

Below are seven sleep-related Schottenfreude words to ponder as you turn your pillow over to the cool side: