Sleep is a universal- it connects us all, and none of us can exist without it. For that reason, sleep appears frequently in poetry, in many forms. It can be an avenue to talk about the unexplainable through dreams or nightmares, a way to talk about the absurdity of reality through waking, or representative of innocence through vulnerability. There is poetry from many eras and many countries in this anthology, all brought together by one common theme. I have divided these poems into several categories based on the aspect of sleep that they enjoy, and each offers a unique perspective on what sleep means. These poems demonstrate that although sleep is universal, every person experiences it differently and finds a different meaning in it. They also speak to the idea that sleep is a cycle: we fall asleep and dream, then we wake up only to fall asleep again the next night.