The authors consider the intertextuality of Turkish and Uzbek proverbs of sleep as bearers of cultural memory and instruments for power relations. Applying a comparative linguistic method, shows how proverbs encode authority, obedience and resistance, and the spirit of many different cultures in which they circulate. Applying the paremiological approach and mixed qualitative–quantitative method, this study demonstrates how proverbs about sleep correspond to broader social change, as well as acting as a medium for cultural reiteration. At the same time they show both trans-cultural cognitive processing and culture-specific values, highlighting the role of proverb in forming collective identities and regulating social affairs over decades.