寝てください: Please sleep soundly

Imagine this: You are a 10 year-old kid in America. You've been working hard on your homework all day, and finally, finally, finally you're able to complete it right before dinner. 

You eat dinner like a zombie, lethargically spooning heaps and heaps of food into your mouth. Right as you finish, your mom tells you to brush your teeth and then ________ (?)

Choices:

a) quickly go to bed

b) take your time and fall asleep

c) take sleeping pills

d) watch the news in order to fall asleep quicker

If you answered (a) you're correct!!!

Japanese sleeping pillow

Incidentally, in Japan, your Japanese mother (okaasan) would tell you differently.

In this situation a Japanese person would tell you "ゆっくり寝てください” (yukkuri netekudasai), or roughly translated, "please sleep slowly".

Of course it doesn't mean that you should take 3 hours to fall asleep, nor does it mean you should take your time to prepare for bed, but I think it falls more upon the lines of sleep soundly.

So, if a Japanese person says this to you, don't look at them like they said something outrageously idiotic (like I did :P), simply nod your head, quickly go to sleep, and then take your time in the land of dreams.

Well, it's almost time to sleep, so everyone: ゆっくり寝てください and またね！