Count Sheep to Fall Asleep

We've all been there. It's close to midnight, there's a big day tomorrow, and we can't seem to fall asleep. Oh if only there was a way to help. Wait, there is. Counting sheep? Why?

It all started thanks to the Shepard's before the 1900's. Counting sheep was an organizational method for keeping track of their herds of sheep. You see, in order for the Shepard's to keep their land, they had to maintain an accurate headcount of their livestock. Not only that, sheep were an extremely valuable commodity and extra care was taken to make sure none were lost to avoid financial loss.

It is said that the process was so tedious and boring that it would help the herders fall asleep at night.

Does counting really work?

Back in the 70's Harvard psychologists, Gary Schwartz and Richard Davidson, conducted an experiment that researched whether sheep counting was actually a valid way to fall asleep.

Well the results were pleasant and counting sheep does work by occupying both hemispheres of the brain, lulling the person to sleep while avoiding any disturbing brain activity that can cause restlessness.

Obviously counting sheep isn't the only method to help fall asleep. Basically any method that involves counting will work just as well as the sheep method. The obvious point is to use both sides of the brain and avoid those nasty thoughts that keep us up at night.

So, there you go. The next time you can't seem to fall asleep, remember your friends the sheep.