In 2002, researchers Allison Harvey and Suzanna Payne at Oxford University tested this directly. They split 50 people with insomnia into three groups. One counted sheep. One imagined a calming scene, like a beach or a quiet walk in nature. One got no instructions at all. The imagery group fell asleep 20 minutes faster than… Continue reading →

In 2005 the British Cheese Board tested this myth directly. They gave 200 volunteers 20 grams of cheese 30 minutes before bed for a week and had them record their dreams. Not one person reported a nightmare. Most said they slept well, and two thirds remembered their dreams the next morning. So where did this… Continue reading →

You’ve heard it since you were a kid. Can’t sleep? Warm up some milk and drink it before bed. Your grandmother swore by it. Movies show it. It feels like common sense. But when you look at the actual research, the story falls apart. Here’s what’s really going on. The tryptophan theory The whole idea… Continue reading →