Trying to imagine fat white lambs, one jumping over the fence after another, is a known remedy for insomnia. When I got used to trying that, I used to insert a stylish black sheep with a red tie from time to time - as a nod to the rebel inside me.

I don't suffer from insomnia much (thank God), but I have often wondered who came up with such a silly suggestion. If the idea is to bore yourself to sleep, why not do a countdown like you do when undergoing anesthesia? And who decided on sheep? Why aren't there rabbits or horses or giant frogs or kangaroo animals?

History is supposed to provide the answer: it was said to be a method used by medieval shepherds, who were without human company for weeks at a time, to sleep each night - they counted their sheep until they felt sleepy. Whether that is true or not, I don’t know.

What is clear is that the concept of counting sheep to sleep is so old that it was mentioned in a collection of short stories from the 13th century entitled "Cento Novelle Antiche". In one of the tales, one of the narrators, serving Lord Azolino, was so sleepy that he told his lord a story about a farmer trying to get a flock of sheep across a flowing river in a small boat.

The narrator said: so he jumped with one fleece and began to row with all his might. "The river was wide, but he rowed and rowed far away. ..."

The narrator stopped talking as he fell asleep, prompting his lord to urge him to wake up to finish the story.

The storyteller replied before dozing off again, "Let him get past the rest of the sheep then go, because it will take at least a year, and meanwhile your grace may enjoy a very comfortable sleep."

The same story was recounted in an earlier 12th-century work entitled "Disciplina Clericalis", and even became part of the 17th-century book "Don Quixote" - only in this version Don Quixote's companion, Sancho Panza, asks him to count goats, not sheep.

Panza says: "It is better that Your Grace keeps track of the number of goats the shepherd carries, because if we forget one, that will be the end of the story, and it won't be possible to say another word."

Does counting sheep really help?

So does counting sheep really help you sleep? Search online, and you'll soon find stories about a 2002 study on combating insomnia that put this concept to the test.

Allison Harvey, a professor of psychology and director of the Golden Bear Sleep and Mood Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, said this was not actually the research’s purpose.

Harvey, who conducted the study when she was a professor of psychology at the University of Oxford, said, "Our study more than 20 years ago wasn’t about counting sheep, it was just about using imagery to fight insomnia.”

Harvey added that her research divided 50 people into three groups. The first had no instructions on how to sleep, the second group was asked to distract themselves from thoughts, worries, and anxieties in any way they liked. The third group was directed to perform an engaging and interesting imagery task, such as creating or recalling a meadow, waterfall, holiday, or summer afternoon in the sunshine.

Those who used imagery reported falling asleep much faster than either of the other two groups, rating their thoughts, worries, and concerns as less troubling and bothersome than those in the distraction group or those who received no instructions.

As it happened, two participants in the distraction group regarded sheep as a means to sleep, and somehow people held on to that, I think because they thought it was fun,” Harvey said.

Although she did not actually study counting sheep as a means to overcome insomnia (and is not aware of any other studies doing so), Harvey has an opinion based on years spent as a sleep specialist.

She said: “Something ordinary like counting sheep usually does not do the trick.” "Instead, we make a list of options with people because everyone is different and there won’t be one option that helps every time.”

What to do?

However, there are scientifically supported ways to help yourself empty your mind and sleep, and Harvey said that after more than 20 years, using your imagination remains the most important advice. Here are her other recommendations.

Visualize relaxation: Imagining a pleasant and engaging environment works for many people and is more effective when all five senses are involved.

She said: “Try to make your image as vivid as possible by asking yourself what you see, what you hear, what you smell, and if applicable, what you taste.”

Gratitude: Known to boost happiness, counting your blessings is also a good way to relax and sleep, according to research.

Harvey suggests inventing three things in your life you are grateful for and then saying them to yourself before sleeping.

Savoring: A cousin of gratitude, savoring is about recalling a wonderful moment from your day. Harvey said: Remember what happened, how you felt, and let yourself enjoy those good feelings to encourage sleep.

It is best to do the following three suggestions before you lay your head on the pillow, all of which focus on controlling anxiety and rumination (which is chewing over repetitive thoughts like a cow chewing cud).

Problem-solving: Set aside time before turning in to pick up a pen or pencil and create two columns on a piece of paper. Label the top of one column "Worries" and the other "Solutions".

List your problems or anxious tasks on the worries side then come up with some ideas for possible solutions. Writing them down frees your mind from chewing over them (so to speak).

Journaling: Harvey said keeping a diary need not focus on solving problems, though it might. It can be a place to capture blessings and daily memories you want to recall later – or just a way to express yourself.

Worry time: Not a natural writer? Well, you can set aside a few hours before bedtime to offload worries and (hopefully) come up with solutions. Doing this may get them out of your head before your head hits the pillow, allowing sleep to come without counting sheep.