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Between 50 and 70 million Americans struggle to sleep well each night. Not getting enough restorative sleep over time can add up and make you more susceptible to a plethora of health issues such as elevated blood pressure or Type-2 diabetes. It also can make managing your emotions more difficult each day.

You might have already heard about the most popular sleep hacks, from drinking the Sleepy Girl Mocktail, using sleep tech and breathing techniques. But if none of those have worked for you, consider trying the “cognitive shuffle” method. Below you’ll learn what the cognitive shuffling method is, whether it really does lead to better sleep and what others say about it. 

For more sleep hacks, see which foods you should eat before bed, how to stop getting up to go pee when you should be sleeping and why you might want to try the Scandinavian sleep method. 

What is cognitive shuffling?

It used to be that counting sheep was all the rage. But thanks to social media platforms like TikTok, you can access newer sleep techniques. One that’s been growing in popularity is cognitive shuffling for sleep. 

Read more: Fall Asleep Fast With This Tried-and-True 5-Minute Hack

Cognitive shuffling is a cognitive behavioral therapy developed by Luc P. Beaudoin, who holds a PhD in cognitive science. The goal is to disrupt your thought patterns by focusing on words, phrases or images to help your mind relax. Focusing on random things distracts your mind from items that could cause anxiety or stress, which can disrupt your ability to fall asleep. 

How to try cognitive shuffling for yourself

After getting into bed, turn off the lights, relax and focus on a word that’s at least five letters long and doesn’t carry any emotional value to you. To demonstrate, you could think of a bobber. Next, you’ll find words that begin with each letter of the word. Starting with “B,” you could do bottle, basin or bobcat. 

When thinking of these words, you want to spell each one out slowly while visualizing it. This is an ideal way to reset your mind, channeling all of its focus away from the things that make you anxious while giving you peaceful reflection. 

Another way to try this is to channel random thoughts. Instead of focusing on a word or phrase, allow your mind to drift, creating imagery with random words like cows, sandwiches, lights and more. Lastly, you can think of a word while focusing on your heartbeat. On your eighth heartbeat, for example, think of another word beginning with the same letter. So, if the word you chose was bread, concentrate on another word that starts with “B,” such as 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 are saying about the cognitive shuffle

People who experience sleep problems and tried cognitive shuffles found successful outcomes. One Reddit user remarked it was the only thing that worked for them; the practice was enough to distract their brain, allowing them to sleep. 

Dr. Scott Walker, a Denver-based dermatologist, posted on TikTok revealing the cognitive shuffle was a light-switch moment for him. He equates the practice to rearranging the thoughts in your head, similar to shuffling a deck of cards. The doctor notes in addition to distracting your mind, it creates micro dreams, which occur when you transition into sleep. This practice gives your brain the green light to go to sleep. 

Bottom line: Stop counting sheep

Struggling to fall asleep might be more common than you think. One of the best ways to relax your mind for sleep is to try the cognitive shuffle. It allows your mind to focus on random objects and letters, triggering a process similar to micro dreams, which helps your mind transition to sleep. It’s been working great for doctors and others alike, so try it and see if it helps you fall asleep quicker.