There’s a belief about sleep that almost everyone accepts. To fall asleep, you need to quiet your mind.
Clear your thoughts. Focus on your breathing. Let go of the day’s worries. Create mental stillness.
It sounds logical. But sleep researchers discovered something different when they studied good sleepers versus insomniacs:
The people who fall asleep fastest aren’t thinking about nothing. They’re thinking about nonsense.
How cognitive shuffling tricks your racing mind into sleep mode
You’re lying in bed. Again. It’s 2 AM and your brain won’t shut up about that awkward thing you said three years ago. Or tomorrow’s meeting. Or whether you remembered to lock the front door.
While you’re tossing and turning, millions of other people are doing the exact same thing, desperately trying to force their brains to power down.
That’s where cognitive shuffling comes in. This sleep technique went viral on social media for good reason: it actually works. And unlike counting sheep or forcing yourself to think about nothing, it gives your busy brain something productive to do while guiding it toward sleep.
“Good sleepers tend to have different kinds of thoughts in bed than bad sleepers. People with insomnia focus on worries, problems, or noises. Good sleepers have dream-like, hallucinatory, less ordered thoughts.” (Melinda Jackson & Eleni Kavaliotis, The Conversation)
Let’s break down exactly how this mental trick works and why sleep researchers say it mimics the natural thought patterns of people who fall asleep easily.
What is cognitive shuffling?
Cognitive shuffling is a mental exercise that floods your brain with random, unrelated images and words. You pick a word, then mentally list and visualise other words starting with each letter of your chosen word.
The technique was developed by Canadian researcher Luc P. Beaudoin over a decade ago. He called it “serial diverse imagining” and designed it to replicate the scattered, nonsensical thoughts that naturally occur as we drift off to sleep.
How cognitive shuffling works
When you fall asleep, your brain shifts from organised, logical thinking to random, disconnected images and scenes. Scientists call these hypnagogic hallucinations, those weird, fleeting visions you sometimes get right before sleep takes over.
Cognitive shuffling hijacks this process. By forcing your brain to jump between unrelated words and images, you:
Research by Beaudoin and his team found that serial diverse imagining helps lower pre-sleep arousal, improve sleep quality, and reduce the effort needed to fall asleep.
The science behind random thinking
Your brain categorises thoughts into two types at bedtime:
Cognitive shuffling fills your mind with pro-somnolent thoughts while crowding out the insomnolent ones. You can’t worry about your credit card bill while picturing a cartoon elephant.
How to practice cognitive shuffling
Step 1: Pick your starter word
Choose a neutral word with at least 5 letters. Good options include:
Avoid emotionally charged words or anything related to your current worries.
Step 2: Start with the first letter
Take the first letter of your word. If you chose DREAM, start with D.
Step 3: List and visualize
Think of words starting with D:
Spend 5-15 seconds on each word. Create a quick mental image, then move on.
Step 4: Move to the next letter
When you run out of D words or feel ready, move to R. Then E, A, and M.
Step 5: Switch words if needed
If you finish your word and you’re still awake, pick a new one and start over.
Practical tips
“The process of ‘shuffling’ between different thoughts is similar to the way your brain naturally drifts off to sleep. By mimicking these scattered, disconnected thought patterns, cognitive shuffling may help you transition from wakefulness to sleep.” (Luc P. Beaudoin)
Common mistakes to avoid
When cognitive shuffling might not work
While many people find success with this technique, it’s not magic. Certain situations make any sleep technique less effective:
If cognitive shuffling doesn’t work after a few weeks of practice, try combining it with other strategies or consult a sleep specialist.
Variations to try
The Category Game
Instead of using word letters, pick a category and list items:
The Alphabet Run
Go through the alphabet listing one item per letter for a chosen category:
The Random Story
Let words generate a nonsensical story that shifts every few seconds: “A purple elephant… eating ice cream… on a mountain… made of cheese… with a tiny hat…”
Beyond the bedroom
The principles behind cognitive shuffling can help in other situations:
Slutresultatet
Cognitive shuffling gives your busy brain a job that leads naturally to sleep. Instead of fighting your thoughts or forcing relaxation, you’re working with your mind’s natural tendencies.
This technique costs nothing and has no side effects. You can start tonight. Pick a word, start listing, and let your brain do what it naturally wants to do, drift into random, dreamy thoughts that carry you off to sleep.
Sweet dreams start with a single word. What will yours be tonight?
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