Cognitive shuffling is a bedtime mental exercise developed by researcher Luc Beaudoin, in which you picture a stream of random, unrelated, neutral things, switching every 5 to 15 seconds, to crowd out worries and mimic the scattered thoughts of falling asleep. The evidence is early: a few small studies, including one conference report on 154 students. It may help most when racing thoughts keep you awake, but it is no substitute for treating insomnia. To try it, pick a neutral word, then picture unrelated words that start with each letter, without linking them. Stop if it makes you more alert or frustrated. If you are awake often or for weeks, see a clinician and ask about CBT-I. This is educational information, not medical advice.
What is cognitive shuffling?
Cognitive shuffling is a mental technique for falling asleep. Researcher Luc Beaudoin of Simon Fraser University developed it more than a decade ago and calls it serial diverse imagining. You think of a neutral, pleasant target, then keep switching to unrelated ones, normally every 5 to 15 seconds.
The idea rests on how sleep begins. The natural drift into sleep is marked by sensory imagery, switching off of higher thinking, and hallucination-like images. People with insomnia tend to think differently in bed. In one study, people with sleep-onset insomnia focused more on worries, problems, and noises, and less on “nothing in particular,” than good sleepers. They also found their thoughts more occupying and harder to control.
Beaudoin describes two kinds of bedtime thoughts. Insomnolent thoughts, such as worrying, planning, rehearsing, and ruminating, work against sleep. Pro-somnolent thoughts, such as dream-like imagery, work with it. Cognitive shuffling tries to replace the first kind with the second.
How do you do cognitive shuffling? A step-by-step guide
Here is the version most often described. It takes no tools, and you do it with your eyes closed in bed:
- Pick a random, neutral word, with no emotional charge. For example, “cake.”
- Take the first letter (C) and think of a word that starts with it, such as cat, carrot, or calendar.
- Picture each word for about 5 to 15 seconds.
- Do not link the words or try to make sense of them. Your brain loves to find meaning, and the exercise works by resisting that.
- Move to the next letter (A) when you are ready, and repeat. Continue through each letter, then pick a new word, until you drift off.
- Let it blur. If images fade or your thoughts scramble, that is the point.
One published example has a woman thinking “blanket,” then bicycle, then buying shoes, then a banana tree. Keep it gentle. If a worry pops up, return to the next word without arguing with it.
Beaudoin admits it is not easy. He says the human brain is a sense-making machine, and it is hard for people to conjure up random images unaided.
Does cognitive shuffling work? What the evidence says
It might, but the evidence is early and limited. Here is the honest picture:
- The main study is a conference report. At SLEEP 2016, Beaudoin’s team presented a study of 154 university students who complained of excessive pre-sleep mental arousal. Serial diverse imagining was as effective as a structured problem-solving exercise at reducing pre-sleep arousal, sleep effort, and poor sleep quality, with the advantage that it can be done in bed. This was an abstract presented at a conference, not a full peer-reviewed trial.
- There are few studies. Sleep scientists note that research is still in its infancy and that only a small number of studies exist.
- A conflict of interest exists. Beaudoin created a related app called mySleepButton, so the strongest advocate is also a developer.
- Mental tricks can backfire. A 2020 systematic review of pre-sleep cognitive activity found that mental imagery, hypnosis, paradoxical intention, thought suppression, and distraction had effects that were beneficial, negligible, or detrimental. Trying to suppress pre-sleep thoughts has been linked to longer sleep onset times and worse sleep quality.
The bottom line: it is a low-risk experiment, not a proven treatment. Try it gently for a few nights, and judge by how you feel.
Does your mind race every night, whatever you try? That can point to a root cause behind the scenes, such as stress physiology, blood sugar swings, or your body clock.
If you would like to see how we might be able to help you with this deeper, schedule a free consult here.
Which bedtime mental tool should you use?
Different problems need different tools. Match the tool to what is happening:
- Your head is full of tomorrow’s tasks. Write a to-do list for five minutes before bed. It has better evidence than cognitive shuffling (see below).
- Worries loop once you are in bed. Try cognitive shuffling, and keep expectations modest.
- Your body feels tense or wired. Use breathing or relaxation. See our guides to 4-7-8 breathing for sleep and NSDR for sleep.
- You are awake for long stretches, or this has lasted weeks. See a clinician and ask about CBT-I.
For more bedtime tactics, read how to fall asleep fast and our guide to racing thoughts at night.
When does cognitive shuffling not work?
It may not help if:
- You try too hard. Forcing yourself to fall asleep raises effort and alertness. If you notice that, stop and relax.
- Your thoughts are intrusive or distressing. Persistent anxiety, panic, or trauma-related thoughts need more than a distraction exercise.
- You struggle to picture images. Think of the words instead, or try another tool.
- Your insomnia is chronic. One technique does not treat it. If you have trouble sleeping at least three nights a week for three months, ask about CBT-I.
If you have been awake a while and feel wired, get up and do something calm in low light until you feel sleepy. See how to break the anxiety and insomnia cycle.
What the Research Shows
Poor sleepers think differently at bedtime. In a 2000 study in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30 people with sleep-onset insomnia and 30 good sleepers were interviewed about their pre-sleep thoughts. The insomnia group focused more on worries, problems, and noises in the environment, and less on “nothing in particular.” They also described their thoughts as more occupying, less intentional, longer lasting, and more of a barrier to falling asleep. A 2020 systematic review adds that the normal transition to sleep involves sensory imagery and the switching off of higher cognitive processes.
Serial diverse imagining: promising, but early. In a study presented at SLEEP 2016, Beaudoin and colleagues tested the technique in 154 university students with excessive pre-sleep arousal. It was as effective as structured problem solving at reducing pre-sleep arousal, sleep effort, and poor sleep quality, with the added advantage of being done in bed. The data come from a conference report, the participants were students, and the lead researcher developed a related app.
Some mental strategies help, and some backfire. The 2020 review in Sleep Medicine Reviews looked at strategies for manipulating pre-sleep thinking, including mental imagery, hypnosis, paradoxical intention, thought suppression, and distraction. Their effects were beneficial, negligible, or detrimental, and the authors called for more research on mechanisms. In an experiment by sleep researcher Allison Harvey, people told to suppress their pre-sleep thoughts estimated that they took longer to fall asleep and rated their sleep quality as poorer than people given non-suppression instructions.
Writing tomorrow’s to-do list has stronger evidence. A 2018 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General used overnight polysomnography in 57 young adults. Those who wrote a five-minute to-do list fell asleep in about 16 minutes, compared with about 25 minutes for those who listed completed tasks. People who wrote very specific lists fell asleep even faster. The study was small and used healthy 18- to 30-year-olds in a lab, so results may differ at home.
This article is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk with a qualified clinician about your own sleep, health conditions, and medications. If you would like to see how we might be able to help you with this deeper, schedule a free consult here.
Want a hand quieting a busy mind at night?
Join The Sleep Nirvana Club, our free sleep course and community: Join the free sleep course and community.
When to Seek Professional Help
- You have trouble sleeping at least three nights a week and it has lasted weeks to months. The American College of Physicians recommends CBT-I as the first treatment for chronic insomnia.
- Your thoughts at night are distressing, intrusive, or tied to trauma, panic, or constant worry. A mental health professional can help.
- You feel persistently sad or hopeless, or have thoughts of self-harm. Contact a clinician right away, and in the US you can call or text 988 at any time.
- Your thoughts race and you have unusual energy with little need for sleep for days. This can be a sign of a mood episode, so talk with a clinician promptly.
- You snore loudly, gasp or choke at night, or feel very sleepy by day. These can signal sleep apnea.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cognitive shuffling?
Cognitive shuffling is a bedtime mental exercise developed by researcher Luc Beaudoin, who calls it serial diverse imagining. You picture a stream of random, unrelated, neutral things, switching about every 5 to 15 seconds, so your mind stops looping on worries. The idea is to mimic the scattered, dream-like thoughts people have as they fall asleep. It is popular online, but research on it is still early and limited.
Does cognitive shuffling really work?
It might, but the evidence is early. A 2016 conference report on 154 university students found it reduced pre-sleep arousal, sleep effort, and poor sleep quality about as well as a structured problem-solving exercise. There are few studies, and the researcher who developed it also created a related app. A broader review found that bedtime mental strategies can be helpful, neutral, or even harmful, so try it gently and stop if it frustrates you.
How do you do cognitive shuffling for sleep?
Lie in bed with your eyes closed and pick a neutral word, such as cake. Take the first letter and think of an unrelated word that starts with it, picturing each one for about 5 to 15 seconds. Do not link the words or try to make sense of them. When you are ready, move to the next letter, and repeat until you drift off or finish the word. Then choose a new word.
How long does it take for cognitive shuffling to work?
No study gives a timeline, and it can take practice. Experts who describe the technique say not to be disheartened if you do not see results straight away, and that what works for some people will not work for others. Give it a fair trial over several nights, and keep expectations gentle. If you are still awake after a while, get up and do something calm until sleepy. If it does not help, try another tool or ask about CBT-I.
What else helps with racing thoughts at night?
Writing tomorrow’s to-do list for five minutes before bed has the best evidence among simple tools. In a polysomnography study of 57 young adults, people who wrote a to-do list fell asleep about nine minutes faster than those who listed completed tasks. For persistent insomnia, the American College of Physicians recommends cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first-line treatment. Breathing exercises and relaxation can also help if your body feels wired.
When to Work With a Sleep Consultant
If your mind races most nights, a deeper cause may be involved: your stress response, blood sugar swings, circadian rhythm, hormones, or nutrient status. The Sleep Consultant looks for those root causes instead of handing you generic sleep-hygiene tips, so a mental trick is not carrying the whole load.
