sandman

A character in fairy tales and folklore who makes children go to sleep by sprinkling sand in their eyes.

A fabulous person who is supposed to make children sleepy: probably so called in allusion to the rubbing of their eyes when sleepy, as if to rub out particles of sand.

A mythical person who makes children sleepy, so that they rub their eyes as if there were sand in them.

A legendary figure who is said to bring good sleep and dreams by placing sand in the eyes.

Used as a symbol of the passage of time to death.

an elf in fairy stories who sprinkles sand in children’s eyes to make them sleepy