25 Good Night Wishes | Meaning & Examples
Good night is the most common way to bid someone farewell right before bedtime, but it’s not the only way. Depending on the situation and your relationship, there are different ways to say “good night” in English. For example, “sweet dreams” is an affectionate phrase for a close friend, family member, or romantic partner.
The following examples will help you add variety to your “good night” messages and conversations. QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can also help you write “good night” messages that are reader friendly and error-free.
Different ways to say good night
Some of the different ways to say “good night” include “have a good night’s sleep,” “sleep well,” “sweet dreams,” and “see you in the morning.” The tips and examples in this section show how to use them correctly.
“Good evening” can also be a formal farewell at the end of a nighttime event, but it’s more commonly used as a greeting.
Have a good night’s sleep
When someone says “good night” or tells you they’re going to sleep, you can respond with “have a good night’s sleep.” In this expression, “night” is a possessive noun, so it has an apostrophe + “s.”
Mom: Good night! Have a good night’s sleep.
Sleep well
“Sleep well” is a shorter way to say “have a good night’s sleep.” You can also expand “sleep well” to “I hope you sleep well.”
Friend 2: It was great chatting with you, too. Sleep well!
Sweet dreams
If you have a close relationship with a person, “sweet dreams” is one of the most affectionate ways to say “good night.” Caregivers often say this to children, but you can say it to a close friend or romantic partner, too.
Boyfriend: Good night, and sweet dreams!
See you in the morning
“See you in the morning” is an option when you’re saying “good night” to someone in your household or someone you will see at the beginning of the next day.
Mom: Good night, buddy! I’ll see you in the morning.
Cute ways to say good night
These cute ways to say “good night” are for small children or people you know very well. They’re often used together because they rhyme:
- Nighty night!
- Sleep tight!
- Don’t let the bedbugs bite.
Nighty night
If you’re trying to be cute and playful instead of serious, you might say “nighty night” or “night night” instead of “good night.”
Sleep tight
“Sleep tight” is a very informal (and somewhat affectionate) way of saying “sleep well.” It’s a common expression for children, but adults sometimes use it with close companions.
Don’t let the bedbugs bite
“Don’t let the bedbugs bite” is also a playful children’s expression. It figuratively means “don’t let anything interrupt your sleep.” You might use it with a friend or romantic partner if you’re being extra playful and upbeat.
Friend 2: Good night! Don’t let the bedbugs bite.
Funny ways to say good night
When you want to be a little funny or very informal, you might use the phrases “catch some Zs” or “hit the hay” in your “good night” messages.
Catch some Zs
“Catch some Zs” is an English slang expression for “get some sleep.” It’s a reference to the speech bubbles in comic strips, which say “Zzzzz” when a character is sleeping. “Zzzzz” is supposed to represent the sound of snoring. You can say “catch some Zs” about yourself or the person you’re bidding “good night.”
Hit the hay
“Hit the hay” is an English expression for going to bed. It refers to the time when beds were made of straw or hay.
Sweet ways to say good night
When you’re texting “good night” to a sweetheart or romantic partner, you might use one or both of these sweet ways to say “good night”:
- Good night, sweetheart
- Sending you good night hugs and kisses
Good night quotes
When you’re writing someone a “good night” message, you can also include a quotation from a famous author, like one of the following.
- “Sleep helps you win at life.” —Amy Poehler, Yes Please
- “The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.” —Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
- “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.” —Maya Angelou, Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
- “Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.” —Margaret Wise Brown, Goodnight Moon
- “It was the possibility of darkness that made the day seem so bright.” —Stephen King, Wolves of the Calla
- “Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” —William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
- “Sleep is the most innocent creature there is, and a sleepless man is the most guilty.” —Frank Kafka, Letters to Milena
- “I love the silent hour of night, for blissful dreams may then arise, revealing to my charmed sight what may not bless my waking eyes.” —Anne Brontë, “Night”
Ways to say good night in other languages
When you need to say “good night” in another language, try one of these options.
- Gute Nacht (German)
- Bonne nuit (French)
- Buonanotte (Italian)
- Boa noite (Portuguese)
- Buenas noches (Spanish)
- Goedenacht (Dutch)
Frequently asked questions about ways to say good night
- Is it goodnight or good night?
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It is good night, not goodnight in formal writing. The expression “good night” is two words (e.g., “Good night, Dad! I’m going to bed now”).
However, “goodnight” (one word) is common in informal contexts and creative writing (e.g., the song “Goodnight, Irene” or the book Goodnight Moon).
When you’re writing good night wishes, the QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you spot common errors like “goodnight.”
- Is it good night sleep or good night’s sleep?
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It is good night’s sleep, not good night sleep. The expression “good night’s sleep” has an apostrophe + “s” because “night” is a possessive noun in this context.
For example, when you’re writing good night wishes, you might use “I hope you have a good night’s sleep.”
When you’re writing with expressions like “good night’s sleep,” QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will instantly show you the correct spelling and punctuation.
- What are some interesting ways to say good night?
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Some interesting ways to say good night include the following:
- See you in dreamland
- Until tomorrow
- Sweet dreams
When you’re looking for alternatives to “good night” or other common English expressions, the QuillBot paraphrasing tool can show you different ways to say the same thing.
- What are some cute ways to say good night over text to your crush?
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Some cute ways to say good night over text to your crush include:
- Sweet dreams.
- Nighty night.
- Sleep tight.
- I’ll see you in my dreams.
When you’re writing “good night” messages, the QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
- What are some words that rhyme with night?
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Some words that rhyme with night are:
- Bright
- Light
- Delight
- Blight
- Write/Right
- Fright
- Trite
- Spite
- Quite
- Tight
- Invite
- Bite
- Kite
- Site/Cite/Sight
- Fight
- Height
- Might/Mite
- Night
- White
- Alight
- Sprite
- Aright
Looking for creative word choices? Try QuillBot’s free Paraphraser.
