A doctor has shared a simple sleep technique that can help you fall asleep in under five minutes by calming racing thoughts and reducing stress levels at bedtime
A straightforward yet powerful hack could be the secret to a better night’s sleep. We’ve all experienced it – lying in bed after a lengthy day, unable to nod off because our minds are whirring.
Whether it’s going over a conversation from earlier, fretting about tomorrow’s duties, or mulling over a past incident, our brains seem to work double-time to keep us alert. Nevertheless, a doctor has disclosed a sleep method that can soothe these unwelcome thoughts, diminish stress at bedtime, and help you drop off in under five minutes. The method, called cognitive shuffling, was posted on TikTok by Joel Chesters, who discovered it from his professor at Oxford University.
Doctor Karan Rajan subsequently outlined the technique in greater detail in his own video.
He explained: “If you’re struggling to fall asleep, this is the biological version of holding down the power button. When you’re in bed, it’s easy to get repetitive, disruptive thought patterns. This can trigger a stress response, which keeps you awake. The more you’re awake, the more unwanted thought patterns you get, meaning less sleep.
“Cognitive shuffling can break this cycle of overthinking by taking away your active cognitive effort. It’s the human brain version of picking shuffle on your mind playlist versus having to manually change a song every time. Less stress.”
To begin the exercise, you simply need to select a random word. Dr Raj opted for the word “bedtime”, though any word of your choosing will suffice.
For each letter within your chosen word, you’re required to think of as many alternative words beginning with that identical letter before progressing to the next one.
Dr Raj illustrated the method using the letter B and said: “It’s important you visualise these words because it’s like you’re simulating micro-dreams. Those are the fleeting images that are going to occur as you transition to sleep.
“Once you’re bored of one letter, move on to the next. This trick helps to calm racing thoughts, so if your sleep software is malfunctioning, it’s worth giving it a go.”
Within the video’s comments section, users lauded the approach, with several mentioning there are minor variations that can prove equally successful, such as selecting a category and considering something for each letter of the alphabet.
One person commented: “I saw someone recommend going through a topic and naming something for each letter of the alphabet, i.e. an animal or movie. It’s been an amazing help and works most nights for me.”
Another individual expressed their amazement, stating: “OH MY GOD. I didn’t know this was a thing.
“This is how I’ve naturally learned to fall asleep. I literally just brain dump and think about the most random disconnected things, and I’m out like a light.”