Stop counting sheep for better sleep and count your blessings

Struggling for some much needed shut eye? Your gratitude practice is likely to have a beneficial impact on your sleep.

In one study, psychologists Emmons and Mccullough asked participants to make nightly lists of things they were grateful for. At three weeks they reported getting longer and more refreshing sleep. People who practiced gratitude slept more on average, woke up feeling more refreshed, and less tired during the day.

Wood et al 2009 questioned 400 participants about their gratitude practice, sleep, and pre-sleep thoughts. Hopefully it is unsurprising to you that gratitude practice led to fewer negative thoughts just before sleep and more positive ones. In turn, this was associated with falling asleep faster and sleeping longer.

So when you’re tossing and turning at night rather than counting sheep, take a moment to practice gratitude.