Counting sheep is probably the oldest sleep advice， as old as drinking a warm glass of milk. But it turns out that counting sheep perhaps wont help you fall asleep. “It is only one of those old wives stories，” says Michael Decker， Ph.D.， a sleep specialist and professor at Case Western School of Nursing.

One saying is that the idea was brought into being when early sheep herders couldnt get to sleep at night because they were worried about all of the sheep in their field. So they would calm themselves by counting the sheep up to make sure they were all safe.

But this method probably wont work when you find it difficult to sleep. When falling asleep， it is likely to be more helpful to make the mind filled with something relaxing and passive， rather than active. “You have to keep record of those sheep. It takes a lot of work to count them all up，” Decker says.

A modern farmer actually counted real sheep when he couldnt fall asleep. And he asked an animal scientist at the USDAs Sheep Experiment Station whether the task would cause sleepiness. “I tried counting sheep once and its no use. It did not help me fall asleep… Its hard to imagine sheep jumping a fence because it is not something they do unless you dont want them to.”

A better method might be to use your brain to imagine a relaxing scene， such as a comfortable beach. In fact， a 2001 study published in a magazine showed that among a group of people with insomnia， those who used “imagery distraction”， fell asleep faster than those who werent given any advice. The study participants were instructed to imagine “a situation they found interesting and pleasing to the eye， but also pleasant and relaxing.”

Decker agrees that this type of guided imagery seems to be the best way to calm a racing mind. Try picturing a beautiful waterfall or planning a relaxing vacation. “We dont want to do anything that connects closely with deep thought.” he says.

Other tried-and-true methods for falling asleep include progressive muscle relaxation， meditation or a warm bath before bed. And if you cant fall asleep after 30 or so minutes in bed， sleep experts often advice you to get up and do something quiet and not exciting to your brain until you feel tired again， so your brain doesnt start to associate the bed as a place for insomnia.

“數绵羊”也许是最古老的帮助睡眠的建议，和睡前喝杯热牛奶一样古老。但事实上这一方法可能并不能帮你入睡。“这只是老婆婆们讲的一个故事而已，”凯斯西储大学护理学院的睡眠专家迈克尔·德克尔教授这样说道。

关于“数绵羊”来源的其中一个说法是，以前牧羊人在晚上会因为担心牧场里的羊而睡不着觉，因此他们每天晚上都会数绵羊，确保它们都安然无恙后才能放心。

可是当你真的难以入眠时，这一方法也许根本起不到任何作用。因为当人们想要入睡时，让大脑处于放松的、被动的状态比使之保持活跃的状态更有效果。“在大脑中数绵羊就需要一直记录绵羊的数量，这会使大脑一直处于工作状态。”德克尔如是说。

有一位现代牧场主在难以入睡时会去数真正的绵羊，他去问美国农业部绵羊实验站的一名动物科学家，这样做是否真的可以帮助他入睡。农场主说：“我曾试过数绵羊，可是没有效果，这并不能帮我入睡……很难想象绵羊跳过栅栏的场景，因为如果不让它们这样做，它们绝不会跳栅栏的。”

帮助入睡的更好的办法就是在大脑中想象一个使人放松的场景，比如一个舒适的沙滩。事实上，2001年有本杂志上发表的一项研究结果显示：在患有失眠症的人中，使用“场景想象法”的人们比那些没有受到任何睡眠建议的人们入睡得更快。专家建议那些研究对象幻想一个他们认为有趣的、吸引人的，并且使人愉快和放松的场景。

这种有指导性的想象应该是让不断运作的大脑冷静下来最好的方式，德克尔也对此表示认同。试着在大脑中构建一幅美丽瀑布的画面，亦或是计划一次轻松愉快的度假。他说：“我们不建议在准备入睡之时让大脑进行深入思考。”

其他一些比较靠谱的入睡方法包括渐进式的肌肉放松法、冥想法和睡前的热水澡。另外，如果你上床后30分钟都无法入睡，专家建议在这时要起床做一些平静的、不会使大脑兴奋的事情，直到再次感到困倦，这样你的大脑就不会把床与失眠这两者关联起来。