A Cognitive Distraction Technique to Help You Fall Asleep
Do your thoughts flood your mind the moment your head hits the pillow at night? If you're someone who struggles to switch off their brain and fall asleep despite being tired, we recommend you get acquainted with the 'cognitive shuffle' method.
This method, personally tried and approved by BBC writer Rachel Hosie, was developed over 15 years ago by Luc P. Beaudoin from Simon Fraser University in Canada.
Let's delve into the cognitive shuffle method in detail.
Source: BBC
Sleeping is a great blessing, just like eating and drinking.
Surely, those who understand this best are the ones who, despite being in desperate need of sleep, can't seem to quiet their minds and drift off. Over time, numerous methods have been developed to facilitate falling asleep. Counting sheep, practicing breathing exercises, performing relaxation movements... However, it's not uncommon to find yourself back at square one after a while.
This is precisely where the 'cognitive shuffling' method, used by thousands of people, comes into play.
Rachel Hosie, a BBC writer who personally tested and approved this method, explains how it works:
'Firstly, you think of a random word that carries no emotional weight. For example, the word 'cake'.
Then you take the first letter of the word, in this case, 'C', and you try to think of as many objects or items as possible that start with that letter. For example, 'cinnamon', 'coffee' and 'cabin'.
Then you visualize each item in your mind and proceed. When you can't think of any other word starting with 'C', you move on to the next letter. I rarely make it to the third stage.'
So, does this method truly make falling asleep easier?
This new trend, gaining popularity on social media, is reportedly effective according to many who have tried it. Alanna Hare, a sleep medicine specialist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, describes cognitive shuffle as a 'super sleep inducer'. Hare explains that it 'applies a push-pull mechanism to the mind', both luring you towards sleep and silencing the disruptive worries that keep you awake.
Developed over 15 years ago by Luc P. Beaudoin from Simon Fraser University in Canada, this method is based on Beaudoin's 'sleepy cognition' theory. The theory posits that insomniacs typically focus on disruptive thought patterns such as worry, planning, and replaying, which keep the brain awake. Therefore, it suggests that the brain needs processes that help it feel 'safe' to sleep.
In 2016, Beaudoin and his colleagues tested this technique on 154 university students with sleep problems. One group was asked to use an application developed by Beaudoin that whispered random words into their ears, allowing them to visualize these words in their minds. The other group wrote down their worries and potential solutions in their diaries, a standard, evidence-based approach to combating insomnia.
So, what was the outcome? It turned out that the image shuffle method was 'equally effective' in improving sleep.
According to Hare, classic methods like counting sheep don't work for many adults because we can think about other things while counting. Therefore, methods that 'block your brain from thinking' might work for you as well.
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