Much of their normal daytime activity, however, consists of curling up and catching forty winks.
British Dictionary definitions for forty winks
forty winks
noun
1.
(functioning as singular or pl) (informal) a short light sleep; nap
forty winks in Culture
forty winks definition
A nap; a short sleep: “If you're feeling drowsy, take forty winks; I'll wake you when our guests arrive.”
Slang definitions & phrases for forty winks
forty winks
noun phrase
A short sleep; nap: He caught forty winks and perked right up(1828+)
Idioms and Phrases with forty winks
forty winks
A brief nap, as in There's just time for forty winks before we have to leave. This expression supposedly was first recorded in 1828 and relies on wink in the sense of “sleep,” a usage dating from the 14th century.