April 29, 2025
Science

For those who toss and turn in bed at night: Does counting sheep really make it easier to fall asleep?

  • May 17, 2024
  • 0

When it comes to counting sheep, this obviously does not mean counting actual sheep. Said, dreaming of sheep taking turns jumping over a fence and do a mental

When it comes to counting sheep, this obviously does not mean counting actual sheep. Said, dreaming of sheep taking turns jumping over a fence and do a mental exercise.

Agree Does this method really work?

In fact, the idea of ​​counting sheep asleep is not new.

Historians believe this idea has been with us since the 12th century. In the storybook entitled Disciplina Clericalalis, written by Petrus Alfonsi, A story about how counting sheep makes falling asleep easier has.

Although over time we cannot be sure whether this story is the first source or not This discourse has spread to all cultures. The theory behind this is that, as we all know, the simple sight of sheep jumping a fence makes it easier to fall asleep.

On the other hand, research was also conducted into counting sheep.

Researchers from the University of Oxford are conducting a study on people suffering from insomnia to understand whether this method will work. In this study from 2002 41 insomniacs are randomly divided into 3 groups.

Participants suffering from insomnia are asked to employ various methods to reduce cognitive activity related to unwanted thoughts before sleep. Group 1 is the control group and so resume normal sleep routines.

While the second group was asked to imagine a tranquil nature scene, the third group was asked to imagine a tranquil nature scene. counting sheep jumping over a fence is desired.

The results are quite surprising.

Those in the 2nd group who dreamed of peaceful scenes had higher They fell asleep about 20 minutes faster is seen. But it took longer for people in the sheep counting group to fall asleep than the other groups. Researchers have several theories for this unexpected result.

The first view is that visualizing a quiet but interesting scene takes place It takes more mental energy than counting imaginary sheep over and over again.. This extra mental energy may have helped you fall asleep faster.

Another idea is that counting sheep, May cause anxiety in some people and can make it harder to fall asleep.

Sources: Very Good Health, CBC

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