Medically reviewed by Patricia Weiser, PharmD and Jared Meacham, PhD, RD, CSCS

When you're lying in bed trying to drift off to sleep but your mind won't stop racing, it can be incredibly frustrating. The good news is there's a technique that can potentially break this cycle. Known as cognitive shuffling, this mental exercise refocuses your mind on calm, neutral ideas in order to help you get the sleep you're craving.

After a busy day, there's nothing better than finally getting some much needed rest. So, you get into bed, shut off the lights and prepare to do just that—except your mind apparently has other plans. What about that deadline later this week? Did you get all the supplies for your son's birthday party? How about paying the electric bill, did you remember to do that? Your mind continues working overtime, bouncing from one pressing issue to the next. And the goal of getting some sleep? Well, that's just a distant dream.

Enter cognitive shuffling, a technique that can help quiet your racing mind by redirecting it to focus on simple or peaceful images and thoughts that are more conducive to drifting off to sleep. Developed 15 years ago by Dr. Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist and adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada, this technique was developed in response to Beaudoin's own struggles with insomnia.

Since then, cognitive shuffling has continued to generate buzz and media coverage thanks to its potential to help everyone get the sleep they need—from overthinkers to the over-stressed and even those suffering from jet lag.

This simple, evidence-informed guide will take a closer look at what cognitive shuffling is, how it works, and how you can integrate this helpful technique—along with some complementary tools from the BetterSleep app—into your sleep routine.

How to Use This Guide

• Get started by reading the tips presented here during the daytime, and then practice cognitive shuffling at bedtime for 3 - 5 nights.
• It's also a good idea to pair cognitive shuffling tips with other key sleep levers such as following a healthy, consistent sleep schedule and maintaining a cool, dark sleep environment.
• Try keeping track of your outcomes with a brief sleep log. This log should include such details as the amount of time it took to fall asleep, and whether you experienced any awakenings.

Cognitive Shuffling: What It Is

Cognitive shuffling is a technique meant to distract your mind from the thoughts that are keeping you awake and instead redirect it to a mental shuffle of random, unrelated words or images that are emotionally neutral.

In practice, this involves picking a random, neutral word, such as apple, for instance. Then think of an unrelated word or image for each letter in the word apple—as an example: ant, pillow, planet, ladder, envelope. You would keep repeating this effort until drifting off to sleep.

When successful, cognitive shuffling reduces rumination, allowing you to relax, grow drowsy, and fall asleep.

"Cognitive shuffling involves thinking of random, impersonal, and neutral, not emotionally charged, words," explains Christina S McCrae, PhD, DBSM, FSBSM, FAASM, a licensed psychologist and board certified behavioral sleep medicine expert who is the director of the University of South Florida Health's Sleep Research Lab. "It is used when cognitive arousal—thoughts that one has trouble ‘turning off’— interfere with one’s ability to fall asleep."

Why Cognitive Shuffling Works

While very little research exists specific to cognitive shuffling, experts say its success aligns with what is known about the sleep disruption caused by cognitive arousal.

When your thoughts are racing, your brain remains alert and attentive. Studies show that rumination and worry drive cognitive arousal, which in turn causes difficulty falling asleep, sleep disturbance, and even insomnia.

"When you're stressed, your brain stays in problem-solving mode, keeping you alert," explains psychologist Leah Kaylor, Ph.D., author of If Sleep Were A Drug: The Science of Sleep Optimization.

Cognitive shuffling is thought to be an antidote to this arousal, serving as a "mental trick" as Kaylor calls it, one that helps quiet your mind so you can get to sleep.

The act of distracting your mind by shuffling through various words or images is based on a cognitive task known as serial diverse imagining (SDI), which Beaudoin touches upon in his initial 2015 study of cognitive shuffling and a later 2016 study. This process is meant to "facilitate sleep onset" by inducing fatigue and also by interfering with your mind's ability to generate other information that might trigger alarms and keep you awake.

"By being engaging, [SDI] reduces the amount of resources available for processing other motivators (and hence for ruminating)," the study explains.

Step-by-Step: The Cognitive Shuffle

Interested in trying cognitive shuffling for yourself? Here's how to get started.

1. Create an environment conducive to sleep: Lower the lights in your bedroom, turn your phone face down (or better yet put it somewhere away from your bed) and get into a comfortable position in bed. Next, begin breathing exercises such as slow, deep breaths.
2. Select a seed word: Identify a short, random word. It can be any random word you want, so long as it's not an emotionally charged word. Let's use the word horse for this example.
3. Build your word list: Next begin generating a random word for each letter in the initial word you've chosen. Continuing with the example horse, you might choose hammer, orange, rainbow, snow, and elephant.
4. Generate rapid images: Take a moment to picture each word and then move on to the next word. Keep it light—don’t analyze or visualize deeply.
5. When thoughts intrude: It's not unusual for a stray thought or two to interrupt your cognitive shuffling effort. When this happens, simply acknowledge the thought and then return to the next letter or object in your cognitive shuffling technique.
6. Wrap-up: If after 10 to 15 minutes of cycling through random words, you find that you're still awake after, pause from cognitive shuffling. Turn to doing some brief breathwork and then restart your shuffling effort with a new seed word.

Prompts & Word Lists

So what type of words should you use when trying out cognitive shuffling? There's various approaches you can take. For instance, you could try cycling through categories of words. Think: kitchen items, garden things, travel objects, animals, colors, and so on.

You can also try using seed words that are sleep-related, such as dream, pillow, and cloud, for example.

No matter which option you choose, Kaylor suggests keeping it light. "Avoid emotionally charged or stressful topics," she advises. And, while your brain may veer off into problem-solving or planning, remember that the goal is to keep your thoughts non-stimulating and uncharged.

Sleep Diary & Measuring Results

As you get started with cognitive shuffling it can be helpful to track and measure your results. Using a sleep diary—which has been found useful for those suffering from insomnia—is a great tool to do this (there are even sample sleep diaries available online if you're not sure how to get started).

In general, a sleep diary should track information like the time you went to bed, how long it took you to fall asleep, any awakenings during the night, and how you feel in the morning.

"Record your subjective sleep quality from very good to very poor, and finally, record how refreshed and energized you feel the next day," says Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, PhD, head sleep expert and neuroscientist for Wesper.

Additional, optional information to consider tracking in your diary includes total sleep time and details about whether you had any alcohol, caffeine, or medication before going to bed.

As a general rule of thumb, it's best to complete your sleep diary on a daily basis and to do so within an hour of waking up when all the details are still fresh in your mind.

After about 7–10 nights, evaluate your progress. Keep engaging in steps that prove successful and make any adjustments as needed.

When to Use Cognitive Shuffling

Cognitive shuffling is a tool that can be easily implemented in a variety of situations. In addition to using it to address sleeplessness at bedtime, it can also be helpful when you wake in the middle of the night, when you're suffering from jet lag, and even when you're experiencing increased stress.

"Cognitive shuffling is a gem for overthinkers, those with stress or anxiety keeping them up, or anyone waking up at 2 a.m. with a buzzing mind," says Courtney Zentz, CLC, an adult and pediatric sleep expert and board member of the Association of Pediatric Sleep Consultants.

Combined With Other Methods to Fall Asleep

Cognitive shuffling is one of many techniques to fall asleep and it can be combined or used in conjunction with some of the additional options available to increase your success. The BetterSleep app offers a variety of tools to supplement your cognitive shuffling efforts including guided relaxation, breathing, and meditation—each of which can help you let go of stress and get to sleep.

Other methods that can be used along with cognitive shuffling to aid in your sleep efforts include:

• 4-7-8 breathing: The 4-7-8 breathwork technique, also designed to calm your body and mind (ideally putting you in a more relaxed state) involves inhaling through your nose for four counts, holding your breath for seven counts and then exhaling through your mouth for eight counts.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: Another technique that can help you ease stress and bring about a feeling of relaxation is progressive muscle relaxation. This involves actively contracting muscles to create tension and then releasing them, a pattern that's repeated until you're feeling relaxed.
• Worry or "brain" dump in a notebook: Finally, if you find that your mind is racing at bedtime, whether it's stress or anxiety, try spending two minutes writing or 'dumping' your concerns and thoughts into a notebook. Also known as therapeutic journaling, this activity can help you decrease stress, ease overwhelming or racing thoughts and relax, even helping you to get to sleep.

Troubleshooting & Common Mistakes

As you get started with cognitive shuffling, you may encounter some setbacks or it may not work for you immediately. For instance, experts say it's not unusual to get stuck on one image as you're cycling through random words and images. If this happens, switch letters faster, advises Kaylor. If you're getting bored or frustrated, pick a new word or category.

What should you do if you get distracted while shuffling through words? Acknowledge the thought, then go back to your list. Or start again with a new word. "If your mind wanders, just start a new word or category — there’s no wrong way to do it," she says.

Are you distracted by clock-watching? Turn the clock away so you can't see it. Are you wired or too alert from indulging in too much screen exposure right before bedtime? Start adding 30 to 60 minutes of calm, wind-down time to your sleep routine.

The key is to avoid overcomplicating cognitive shuffling. And be patient with yourself. "If you’re new to it, give it a few tries before giving up. Any new skill takes time, patience and consistency," says Zentz.

When to Seek Care and How to Work with a Healthcare Provider

If despite your best efforts to improve your sleep, including using cognitive shuffling, you're still having difficulty drifting off peacefully and maintaining good quality sleep, it may be time to consult with a doctor or sleep specialist.Some of the red flags to be on the lookout for surrounding poor sleep quality include loud snoring, gasping, and daytime sleepiness. Chronic insomnia that lasts more than three months is another important flag.

Cognitive shuffling is meant to help with mild sleep-onset issues, but not untreated medical conditions. If you decide to seek professional help, be prepared to bring information with you that can aid in the professional's understanding of your condition, such as a two-week sleep log and a list of any supplements you may be taking, along with current techniques you're using to try and help encourage good sleep..

"Write down a list of your symptoms including the types of sleep difficulties you're experiencing and daytime symptoms," says "You should also be able to describe what a "typical" night is like for you."

It's also important to share any other medical conditions you may have, such as hypertension, pain, recent illnesses or injuries. You may also want to ask about being tested for sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

The Bottom Line

Cognitive shuffling is one of many methods to fall asleep if you're struggling and your mind won't shut-off. It's an especially simple, portable technique to quiet your mind if you're experiencing stress, anxiety, even jet lag or are prone to waking in the middle of the night. 

When used along with creating an environment that's conducive to sleep (think: dimmed lights and a cool temperature), cognitive shuffling can be an important part of your sleep routine. But remember, this technique may not work immediately, so don't get discouraged. Keep practicing and it can pay off. If you find you're not making any progress, consider consulting a professional to ensure you get the sleep your body needs to stay healthy.

Key Takeaways:

• Cognitive shuffling is a technique that can help quiet your racing mind by redirecting it to focus on simple or peaceful images and thoughts that are more conducive to falling asleep.
• The practice of cognitive shuffling involves a mental shuffle of random, unrelated words or images that are emotionally neutral.
• Cognitive shuffling can be used in a variety of situations including sleeplessness at bedtime, when you wake in the middle of the night, and even when you're suffering from jet lag or are experiencing increased stress.
• The BetterSleep app offers a variety of tools that can complement and support your cognitive shuffling efforts including guided relaxation, breathing, and meditation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is cognitive shuffling?

Cognitive shuffling is a mental exercise designed to calm your mind by focusing it on random, simple thoughts or images that are more conducive to drifting off to sleep.

Does cognitive shuffling really work?

Cognitive shuffling may not work immediately. It takes practice, experts say. And it may not necessarily work for everyone, particularly individuals who are suffering from more serious issues such as chronic insomnia.

Is cognitive shuffling hard to learn?

Cognitive shuffling is a simple technique that involves picking random words and cycling through them. Experts say it is a simple technique to learn and one that can be used anywhere.

How does cognitive shuffling help me fall asleep fast?

Cognitive shuffling works by redirecting your mind away from stressful thoughts or worries, refocusing your thoughts on peaceful words or images that can help you relax and drift off to sleep.

When should I try cognitive shuffling?

It can be a good idea to try cognitive shuffling if you're having trouble drifting off to sleep at night, whether it's caused by stress, anxiety, jet lag or any other issue. Cognitive shuffling can also be helpful if you wake frequently during the night.