Tired of counting sheep to get some shut-eye? Consider trying cognitive shuffling, a sleep strategy that’s been trending on social media for years.
What’s Cognitive Shuffling?
Cognitive shuffling is a technique where you focus your mind on words that have nothing in common to trick your brain into thinking it’s time to sleep.
Here’s how to do it:
- Choose a random word, such as “Giraffe.”
- Think of other words that begin with the same first letter of the word, such as “Giant, grass, glue, guffaw,” taking the time to visualize each one.
- Once you can’t think of any other words starting with “G,” choose words beginning with the original word’s second letter. In this case, “I” is the second letter in “Giraffe,” so you could come up with “Icy, igloo, important, instinct.”
How Does Cognitive Shuffling Work?
According to Luc P. Beaudoin, an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada and the cognitive scientist who invented cognitive shuffling, as people fall asleep, their minds contain distant thoughts or striking images. The cognitive shuffling technique assists the mind in mirroring that process.
“These images don’t create a clear storyline and may help your brain to disengage from problem-solving or worry loops,” said Dr. Beaudoin.
The Birth of Cognitive Shuffling
Over 15 years ago, Dr. Beaudoin developed cognitive shuffling to help his insomnia; in 2016, he and other cognitive scientists conducted a study on its effectiveness. They split 150 study participants into three groups—one group did cognitive shuffling, while another spent 15 minutes in the evening writing down their worries; a third group did both.
The research showed that both cognitive shuffling and writing down worries were equally effective; however, the participants who did both methods said that cognitive shuffling was “more helpful and easier to use.”
While cognitive shuffling may be an effective tool, it shouldn’t be your sole strategy for solving sleep issues. Instead, you’ll want to partner with our experts for comprehensive sleep care. Call (248) 844-2936 today to schedule a consultation.