For most of my life, I slept soundly the moment my head hit the pillow. Ever since I moved countries over a year ago, things changed. Sleep didn’t come as easily.
Despite feeling adequately tired by bedtime, I’d lie awake, my mind racing with worries about work or conjuring up hypothetical scenarios about my loved ones’ safety, who were suddenly an ocean away. Adjusting to the strangeness of sleeping in a brand-new place didn’t help either. Most nights, it took me at least an hour, sometimes more, to nod off.
Desperate to reclaim my ability to fall asleep blissfully like I once did, I tried several things. Guided meditative breathing techniques like the 4-7-8 method only seemed to heighten my state of arousal. Classics like counting sheep ended up being a pointless multitasking endeavour — my mind would tally the sheep while simultaneously replaying my anxieties.
Dreamy 💤
Then, I turned to my favourite sitcoms for solace and began drifting off in front of a flickering screen. While it seemed like a quick fix at the time, I knew that replacing my anxious thoughts with a screen-fuelled distraction wasn’t a long-term solution. I was not only falling asleep later, but also hampering the quality of my sleep due to the blue light and mental stimulation.
I wasn’t keen on taking supplements or pills to soothe my pre-sleep jitters and was determined to find a sustainable, organic way to fall asleep. Then this October while scrolling Instagram, I discovered cognitive shuffling, a technique originally conceived by cognitive scientist Luc Beaudoin.
“Cognitive shuffling is a mental technique that involves focusing on unrelated words or images to distract your brain from racing thoughts,” explains Dr. Shelby Harris, Director of Sleep Health at Sleepopolis.
Dr. Amy Reichelt, PhD in Neuroscience, adds, “The key is to briefly but vividly visualise mental images that have no narrative or logical connections between them, such as a yellow flower, a ball of pink wool, a wooden spoon. By preventing your brain from creating narrative or meaning, you're lulling it into a more relaxed state conducive to sleep.”
A whole snorefest.
What makes cognitive shuffling different?
Cognitive shuffling differs from conventional methods like meditation in one major aspect: its ability to induce sleep onset. According to studies, techniques like counting sheep and meditation can build a state of relaxed alertness, which can hinder sleep.
Dr. Reichelt elaborates, “Meditation asks you to observe thoughts or focus on breathing, which requires active mental discipline and concentration. This can sometimes be challenging for people who struggle to quiet their mind.”
On the contrary, cognitive shuffling is a low-intensity distraction technique. “It activates the brain's default mode network, responsible for inducing daydreaming and wakeful rest, which counters problem solving thoughts or ruminations,” she explains.
Trialling cognitive shuffling for sleep
At first, I was sceptical. Would this technique really quiet my hyperactive mind or energise it further? Despite my initial concerns, I decided to give it a fair trial using my own custom tweaks. I had nothing to lose…except more sleep, maybe.
Here’s exactly what I did:
- Choose a broad category (I picked indoor objects).
- Select a base word from that category (e.g., “table”)
- Create a word chain: I imagined a new word (within the same category) starting with each letter from the base word. For example, with “table,” I thought of:
T: teapot
A: apple
B: bed
L: loaf
E: egg
Repeat if needed: If I didn’t fall asleep, I chose a new word and started again.
As I pictured each object for a few seconds, I noticed my mind gradually slowing down. By the time I shuffled the third word, I felt myself slipping into a dream-like state. The process took roughly under three minutes. Over the next two months, I used this technique whenever sleep eluded me and soon, it became part of my nightly routine.
While this method worked for me, you may want to explore and see what version of the technique best works for you. “The key is to find a style that keeps your brain engaged in a neutral, non-stressful way. Flexibility is part of what makes this technique so accessible,” says Dr Harris.
Dr. Reichelt suggests a variation called the ‘Alphabet Game.’ “Choose a category (like animals or foods), and work through the alphabet, creating a mental image for each letter. For example, A: Apple, apricot… B: broccoli, bananas… and so on,” she explains.
Dr. Harris advises consistency, recommending at least a few nights of effort to review its effectiveness. “If it doesn’t work after a week or so, it’s okay to explore other options,” she tells Glamour UK.
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Will cognitive shuffling work for everyone?
Experts agree there are no significant risks to trying cognitive shuffling. However, Dr. Harris cautions that it may not work for everyone. “Some people might find it frustrating if their minds wander too much, or it might not provide enough structure for those with ADHD. It’s important to approach it with a relaxed mindset and not put too much pressure on it to “work,” she says.
In my case, I started seeing tangible results with this technique within the first week of trying it. While I was concerned about its novelty tapering off, that hasn’t happened yet. The best part? Ever since trying it two months ago, I’ve barely reached for my phone and have been falling asleep as nature intended. My anxieties are still present, but I’ve learned to deal with them in the light of day.
Sleep is more than just closing your eyes; it’s about quieting your mind. Cognitive shuffling has given me a natural way to ease my delayed sleep onset, and it might just do the same for you.
