why do they call the crusty stuff that gathers in the corner of your eye, sleep?

it is caused by the sleep fairy sprinkling it in your eyes to help you drop off - at least that's what my mum taught me

There are many resons. One is the sand man story. I think its this :

▀ When you are asaleep all the horrible-ness comes out of your eyes and goes there. Also It's called sleep, because it forms when you are asaleep. I bet they have some scientific name for it but if a little child says whats this in my eye its better to say sleep than some really complicated owrd like Oh son / daughter its - dfjlkjslfkjaslkjflkjfsasjf isms

xx.kaytee.xx

It is absolutely normall .It is the natural protection of the eyes .It is the same liquid that tears are and it is there in order to protect the eye from external bacterias that want to find an entry to get in your body.Dont be afraid!That.s why it exists.For the same reason we have the vaginal discharge,the skin and the nose boogers.This liquid that you call ''sleep'' when it comes in contact with air it dries and get yellow

old wives tale suggests that its called sleep dust but shortened to just sleep......This tale is told that when the Sandman comes to visit while you are falling asleep he sprinkles sleep dust over childrens eyes so they do not wake up during the middle of the night.

Because the Sandman is supposed to drop Sleep in your eyes and that puts you to sleep.

I'm sure someone else will get into details from anchient times.

It is actually a natural function of the eye to disperse anything that may have been lodged in the eyeball during the day. Dust etc etc.

Because it is a result of sleeping...you only get it after you sleep, hence the term"sleep"

Mucous.

it's because of the water discharge from your eyes that turns yellow after several minutes or hours

I call em eye boogers... maybe they thought that was gross and decided to go with sleep instead.