the watches of the night

the watches of the night

The moments or hours of the night, typically when someone is awake. I used to wake in the dark watches of the night, my body paralyzed, convinced that someone or something was watching me from the shadows. My poor wife was up in the silent watches of the night for two months before our daughter was born, plagued by restless legs and an aching back.

See also: night, of, watch

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

the watches of the night

the hours of night, especially viewed as a time when you cannot sleep. literary

A watch was originally each of the three or four periods of time into which the night was divided, during which a guard would be stationed to keep a lookout for danger or trouble.

See also: night, of, watch

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017