Using Visualization For Insomnia

Wish you could sleep like a baby? Here’s a tip: don’t count sheep. It may actually lengthen the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

When a case of insomnia strikes, forget counting sheep. Instead, imagine peaceful scenery, such as a quiet beach or a babbling brook. A study that put the two methods head to head found that people who visualized calming images fell asleep 20 minutes sooner than they usually did. Those who were told to count sheep took a few minutes longer than when given no advice at all.

Research shows that people who don’t sleep well are less likely to envision any kind of scenery and instead think about worries, unpleasant images, distracting noises, and things they did or had to do during the day. Put your worries to rest at bedtime by envisioning happy, tranquil moments or soothing scenery.