lay someone to sleep—
1. put smb., usually a child, into bed for sleep:
- The child is weary; let us lay him to sleep on the settee for a while.
2. (euph.) bury a person after he has died (also: lay someone to rest):
- One generation of burghers after another was laid to sleep in the quiet churchyard.
put someone to sleep —(also: send someone to sleep)
1. make a person fall asleep because smth. is too boring:
- You ask me what book I read now to put me to sleep—why, Murray’s “Handbook for France.”
2. make a person unconscious by using an anesthetic:
- The surgeon gave him something to dose and put him to sleep.
3. (euph., of an animal) kill painlessly out of mercy:
- Sheba was growing old and blind and had to be put to sleep.