Counting the Sheeps!!!

Counting the imaginary sheeps in a herd crossing the fence of the pen one by one is one of the techniques for sleep induction.

There are so many people who don’t experience peaceful rejuvenating sleep. Main reason for sleeplessness in the modern world is workplace and at home stress, cutthroat competition to make a niche in the earning world. Another reason is the hectic lifestyle which leaves little time for exercise and relaxation.

Look at a peasant!! He works all day and fall asleep as soon as hits the bed. He eats and sleep without thinking about the calories. But many other professions especially in the urban areas which leave the people mentally exhausted.

Sleep is an mechanism made by God and fitted in the brains of humans. It is an safety valve to relieve the mind of the daytime stress, repair the body and rejuvenate us.

Insomnia is a big problem in the modern world. There are many types of sleep problems such as insomnia, snoring or sleep apnea, parasomnias, sleep paralysis and restless legs syndrome to name a few.

Many techniques are tried to induce sleep. Many are connected to the body like messaging etc. Others are mental devices. One of these which has ingrained in human minds is Counting the Sheeps.

This is not counting the actual sheep but imagining the sheep herd jumping over the fence one by one. You are counting them crossing. The theory behind the counting sheep exercise is that the simple, rhythmic, and repetitive nature of the visualization helps people sleep.

But does counting sheep actually put a person to sleep? Many experiments have been conducted which compare these techniques. Another is the imagining oneself near waterfall listening to the soothing sounds. The technique work only in few people. But when a person becomes frustrated, he will try anything.

There are many ads which tout their product winning over Counting the sheep.