The claim

Counting sheep helps you fall asleep.

The facts

The reason people count sheep, as opposed to bluebirds or sailboats, is uncertain; some authorities think it may have to do with a tallying system devised by shepherds in ancient Britain. And its meaning is clear enough — the sheer monotony of the task is meant to lull you to sleep.

But does it work? Scientists at Oxford University put it to the test. In their study, which appeared in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy, two sleep researchers recruited insomniacs and split them into groups. Then they monitored them as they tried different techniques for falling asleep.

What they found was that subjects took slightly longer to fall asleep on nights they were instructed to distract themselves by counting sheep or were given no instructions at all. But when they were told to imagine a relaxing scene — a beach, for example — they fell asleep an average of 20 minutes sooner.

The bottom line

Don’t count sheep; instead, try picturing relaxing images.