For individuals struggling with insomnia, the instruction to “just clear your mind” is often futile. However, a technique gaining traction for its practical and theoretical merits is “cognitive shuffling.” Promoted by medical professionals like Dr. Amir Khan, this method offers a structured way to guide the brain away from hyperarousal and toward sleep.
Cognitive shuffling operates on a clear psychological principle: it is difficult for the brain to focus on a neutral, monotonous task while simultaneously engaging in anxious rumination. By deliberately occupying the mind’s phonological loop—the part of working memory that deals with sound and language—with a task like listing words alphabetically, it leaves little cognitive room for stressful thoughts. This process is believed to mimic the hypnagogic state, the transitional period between wakefulness and sleep characterized by fleeting, random thoughts.
The technique was formally developed by cognitive scientist Dr. Luc Beaudoin. Its effectiveness lies in its demand for low-stakes mental effort. Unlike counting sheep, which can become automatic, generating words for each letter requires just enough engagement to prevent the mind from wandering back to stressors, but not so much that it becomes stimulating.
Anecdotal evidence strongly supports its use. Patients of Dr. Khan and users on social media report significant success, often falling asleep much faster than usual. While not a cure for clinical sleep disorders, cognitive shuffling serves as a valuable, non-pharmacological tool in the sleep hygiene toolkit, leveraging our understanding of cognitive load to facilitate the natural onset of sleep.
