Nobody is quite sure of its origins… an article I read today suggests that “it might stem from shepherds of the olden days keeping track of their flocks before bedtime.” But when you can’t sleep, do you count sheep?
Does counting sheep work for you? This article claims that it doesn’t work. It argues that counting sheep is “so repetitive and boring that most people who try to do it don’t last long enough to see any success. The brain tires of the tedium and moves on to something more stimulating, which just wakes you up more.”
The article goes on to suggest some alternate strategies that it claims work better.
It is a really interesting article, check it out at http://www.divinecaroline.com/22189/97750-counting-sheep-counteracts-sleep–imagine and let me know your thoughts.