A light, restless sleep from which one can easily wake; sleep that's as easily interrupted as a dog's vigilant napping.
Compound of 'dog' + 'sleep,' based on the observation that dogs seem to sleep lightly and can wake suddenly. The term appears in 18th and 19th-century literature to describe human sleep patterns resembling canine vigilance.
This word captures something scientifically real—dogs actually do sleep differently than humans, entering REM sleep more frequently and maintaining alertness even while resting, so the phrase has a genuine basis in animal behavior.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.