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You know that moment—lights off, blanket on, and suddenly your brain decides it’s time to review every embarrassing thing you’ve said since 2008? Welcome to the mind of an over-thinker at bedtime.
Not to worry much because there’s a quirky little brain trick making waves that might just be the lullaby your restless thoughts need. It’s called cognitive shuffling, and it’s basically a sleep hack for the overactive mind.
Coined by cognitive scientist Luc Beaudoin, cognitive shuffling is like giving your brain a bedtime puzzle to play with instead of letting it spiral, according to Real Simple. It is mentioned that the idea is to distract your mind with random, unrelated words to keep it from launching into deep, anxiety-ridden thoughts.
According to Psychology Today, by doing this, you’re simulating the kind of disorganised thinking your brain does when it’s drifting off to sleep. Think “pear,” “mirror,” “cloud,” “jacket”—the more random, the better.
It sounds strange, but this hack has been gaining popularity, especially among people tired of counting sheep and spiralling through existential dread. The mySleepButton app, developed by Beaudoin’s team, is designed to guide users through this shuffling process according to their website.
However, you don’t need an app to try it. Just pick a random letter, and list as many unrelated nouns as you can think of that start with it. No storyline, no logic, no pressure—just mental hopscotch until your brain gives up and finally dozes off, according to the mySleepButton website.
A study in Behaviour Research and Therapy found that techniques like imagery distraction, which similarly engage non-anxious parts of the brain, can significantly improve sleep onset. So the next time your brain is hosting a midnight TED Talk, give it a toy box of random words to shuffle. Turns out, a little nonsense might be the secret to sweet dreams.
Also see: Here’s what vacations do for your brain
