Does counting sheep actually work? 🐑

Is counting sheep a myth?

Counting sheep is more of an old tradition than a tested sleep method. It shows up in stories and cartoons all over the world, which is part of why so many people try it. The idea is that a slow, repetitive task gives your mind something dull to hold, so it stops chewing on the day.

The honest answer is that the research on it is mixed and fairly limited. Some people find it soothing. Others find that counting takes so little effort that their worries simply carry on in the background, or that they start keeping score and feel more awake. If it works for you, keep it. If it does not, you are not doing it wrong.

What helps you fall asleep instead?

The NHS recommends a regular wind-down routine before bed. Its sleep advice suggests winding down for a while before bed, keeping lights dim, and avoiding screens for about an hour before you go to sleep, because bright, busy screens can keep your brain alert.

A steady bedtime and wake-up time, a cool, dark and quiet bedroom, and less caffeine later in the day also make sleep easier for many people. None of these are exciting, but they tend to help more than any single trick.

It also helps to give worries somewhere to go before bed. Some people jot down tomorrow's to-dos or a nagging thought on paper an hour or so before sleep, so their mind does not feel it has to keep holding on to it in the dark.

What is the cognitive shuffle?

The cognitive shuffle is an imagery trick created by Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist at SFU in Canada. You pick a simple word, like "bed", then for each letter imagine as many random, harmless things as you can that start with it: b for banana, butterfly, bicycle; then e for egg, elephant, and so on.

The idea is that jumbled, calm pictures resemble the drifting thoughts people have as they fall asleep, and they are absorbing enough to crowd out worry. It is popular and many people like it, but like counting sheep, the scientific evidence is still limited, so think of it as something to try rather than a sure thing.

A sleepy sheep game as part of a wind-down

If you like the sheep idea but want something a little more absorbing, Sheep Drift is a slow, dim game where fluffy sheep drift by one at a time. Tap one and it hops the fence into a little bed. There is no score and no rush, and after twelve sheep the night fades out.

It takes about two minutes and is built to wind down, not wind up. Mood Games designed it to end by suggesting you rest, because the honest best move before bed is to put the phone down soon after.

So use it as a bridge: a couple of minutes of something calm, then screen off, lights low, pillow up 🌙

What if you still cannot sleep?

If you have been lying awake for a long time, many sleep guides suggest getting up and doing something quiet in dim light until you feel sleepy, rather than tossing and turning.

If poor sleep goes on for weeks or affects how you feel during the day, it is worth talking to a doctor or pharmacist. Ongoing sleep trouble is common, and there is real help for it.

And go easy on yourself. Trying hard to fall asleep tends to make you more alert, so aim for resting comfortably instead. Lying quietly in the dark with slow breaths is still rest, even if sleep takes a while to arrive.