Skip Counting Sheep. This New Sleep Trick You’ve Never Heard Of Could Put You to Sleep
Between 50 and 70 million Americans have trouble getting enough good quality sleep. A lack of restorative sleep can make you more susceptible to high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, and it can make it harder to manage your emotions.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, you may have tried a few trendy sleep tricks. These include making a Sleepy Girl Mocktail, using sleep technology and breathing techniques, or you may have recently heard of the “cognitive shuffle.” Our guide explores the cognitive shuffle method, whether it leads to better sleep, and what others are saying about it.
What is cognitive shuffling?
Counting sheep used to be all the rage. But thanks to social media platforms like TikTok, you have access to newer sleep techniques. One that is becoming increasingly popular is cognitive shuffling techniques for sleep.
Read more: Fall Asleep Fast With This Proven 5-Minute Trick
Cognitive shuffling is a cognitive behavioral therapy developed by Luc P. Beaudoinwho has a PhD in cognitive science. The goal is to disrupt your thinking patterns by focusing on words, sentences, or images to help your mind relax. Focusing on random things distracts your mind from items that may cause anxiety or stress, which can disrupt your ability to fall asleep.
How to Try Cognitive Reframing Yourself
After getting into bed, turn off the light, relax, and focus on a word that is at least five letters long and has no emotional value to you. To demonstrate this, think of a bobber. Then, find words that begin with each letter of the word. Starting with “B,” you might do bottle, bassin, or bobcat.
When you think of these words, you want to spell them out slowly while visualizing them. This is an ideal way to reset your mind, taking all focus away from the things that are making you anxious, while giving you a peaceful reflection.
Another way to try this is to channel random thoughts. Instead of focusing on a word or phrase, let your mind wander and create images with random words like cows, sandwiches, lights, and more. Finally, think of a word while focusing on your heartbeat. For example, on your eighth heartbeat, think of another word that starts with the same letter. So if the word you chose was bread, focus on another word that starts with a “B,” like Bronco. The key here is to keep things random.
Read more: Use This Meditation Method to Fall Asleep in 10 Minutes or Less
What others say about the cognitive shuffle
People who have sleep problems and have tried cognitive shuffles have found successful results. A Reddit user noticed It was the only thing that worked for them. The exercise was enough to distract their brains, allowing them to sleep.
Denver dermatologist Dr. Scott Walker posted on TikTok revealing that the cognitive shuffle is a light switch moment for him. He compares the exercise to rearranging the thoughts in your head, similar to shuffling a deck of cards. The doctor notes that in addition to distracting your mind, it creates microdreams, which occur as you fall asleep. This exercise gives your brain the green light to go to sleep.
In short: stop counting sheep
Having trouble falling asleep may be more common than you think. One of the best ways to relax your mind before sleep is to try the cognitive shuffle. It makes your mind focus on random objects and letters, which triggers a process similar to microdreaming, which helps your mind transition into sleep. It works great for doctors and others, so give it a try and see if it helps you fall asleep faster.
