# 睡覺時老是翻來翻去的



## KYC

Hi there:
I wonder how to express the sentence
他睡覺時老是翻來翻去的 idiomatically
 in English.
Could you interprete it for me?
Thanks a lot!


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## KYC

May I say :He can't sleep well.*He changes his gesture all the time when he sleeps.*
Also ,I wonder if it's correct and natural.
Could you verify it for me?
Thanks a lot!


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## sapho

I would say "he keeps moving in his sleep"


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## miresh

... or "He just tosses about endlessly throughout the night."


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## samanthalee

睡覺時翻來翻去的 is "restless in (his/her) sleep."
So you can say:
He has been restless in his sleep.
He is always restless in his sleep.
He was extremely restless in his sleep.


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## KYC

Thanks for your replies.


> 睡覺時翻來翻去的 is "restless in (his/her) sleep."
> So you can say:
> He has been restless in his sleep.
> He is always restless in his sleep.
> He was extremely restless in his sleep


My source says if you have a restless sleep, you don't sleep properly and when you wake up you feel tried and uncomfortable.
I venture that這是指睡眠品質不好之意嗎?
But I would like to say一會兒翻左,一會兒翻右,或踢來踢去
Thanks for your help!


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## samanthalee

KYC said:


> My source says if you have a restless sleep, you don't sleep properly and when you wake up you feel tried and uncomfortable.
> I venture that這是指睡眠品質不好之意嗎?
> But I would like to say一會兒翻左,一會兒翻右,或踢來踢去


Restless 有好幾個含義。

其一是休息不充分。"A restless sleep"或"My sleep has been restless" 是指睡眠品質不好。"A restless night"是指徹夜未眠。

其二是不靜止的。 "restless _in_ (his/her) sleep" 是指睡時翻來覆去，又踢被單等。"A restless sea"是指不平靜的海面。

其三是不停活動，無法安靜坐下的。"A restless child" 是指精力旺盛的小孩。"A restless heart"是指不安于現狀的一顆心。"A restless crowd" 是指鼓噪的人群。


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## KYC

Thanks for samanthalee's clarification.
I am clear.
Thanks!


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## DavidCornell

"toss and turn in bed" or simply "toss in bed". but these phrases mostly mean that you cannot sleep. the Chinese sentence seems to be compatible with "cannot sleep" and "can sleep but just moves around in bed a lot"


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## KYC

Thanks for DavidCornell's input.
I learn more from your input.Thanks!


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## DavidCornell

Actually now I have a different opinion. I think 睡觉时老是翻来翻去的 predominantly means that someone keeps changing his positions while sleeping. I wonder if any native English speaker can provide a translation for that meaning?




DavidCornell said:


> "toss and turn in bed" or simply "toss in bed". but these phrases mostly mean that you cannot sleep. the Chinese sentence seems to be compatible with "cannot sleep" and "can sleep but just moves around in bed a lot"


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## KYC

> I wonder if any native English speaker can provide a translation for that meaning?


I have the same question, too.


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## Lamb67

rolling from side to side,toss about
tossing and turning


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## little black bean

KYC said:


> Hi there:
> I wonder how to express the sentence
> 他睡覺時老是翻來翻去的 idiomatically
> in English.
> Could you interprete it for me?
> Thanks a lot!


normally，we say 翻来覆去，and go with 睡不着。'他总是翻来覆去睡不着。' your sentence doesn't mean he difficult to sleep, just keep toss or moving during the sleep, but not wake up. so called 睡觉不老实。


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## Lamb67

little black bean said:


> normally，we say 翻来覆去，and go with 睡不着。'他总是翻来覆去睡不着。' your sentence doesn't mean he difficult to sleep, just keep toss or moving during the sleep, but not wake up. so called 睡觉不老实。


A restless sleeper.😑


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## Coachcaesar

'Toss and turn' is the closest and most idiomatic translation here, and I think that 'toss and turn' refers to that awful state when a person is trying to fall asleep, can't, and is constantly changing position. 

(If anyone wants a living example, I would point you to the original version of the song 'Tainted Love' by the band Soft Cell - the chorus goes: 'I toss and turn, I can't sleep at night')


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