Cognitive shuffling is a technique for falling asleep that asks you to think about nothing in particular, on purpose. You pick an ordinary word, take its letters one at a time, and picture random, unrelated objects that start with each letter. Garden: gate, giraffe, gravel, glove, goose. Then A: apple, anchor, attic. And so on, until you drift off or lose track, which often amounts to the same thing.
It was developed by Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist at Simon Fraser University in Canada, who called the underlying idea "serial diverse imagining". The name that stuck is cognitive shuffling. It has become popular partly because it is so easy to try, and partly because it seems to work for a lot of people whose main obstacle to sleep is a mind that will not stop solving problems.
This guide explains why it may help, exactly how to do it, and what the evidence does and does not show.
Why it may help
A mind that is falling asleep naturally produces a stream of loose, disconnected images. Anyone who has noticed their thoughts going odd just before dropping off has seen this. Focused, logical thinking, the kind you do when planning or worrying, is the opposite pattern, and it is associated with staying awake.
Cognitive shuffling deliberately imitates the first pattern. By asking for a new, unrelated image every few seconds, it makes coherent thought difficult. You cannot fully replay a conversation while also picturing a goose. The technique is not trying to relax you; it is occupying the machinery that would otherwise be doing the thinking.
There is a second, quieter benefit. Because the task is neutral and slightly absorbing, it gives you something to do that is not "trying to sleep". Effort is one of the main things that keeps sleep away, and shuffling replaces it with a game that has no stakes. For the wider picture on why minds get busy after dark, see our guide to racing thoughts at night.
In short: Shuffling floods the mind with random, harmless images so there is no room for the coherent thinking that keeps you awake.
How to do cognitive shuffling
- Get comfortable in the dark, in whatever position you normally sleep in. Do the technique once you are ready to sleep, not as part of the wind-down.
- Choose a word. Emotionally neutral, five to eight letters, ideally with no repeated letters. Something from around the house is fine: window, bakery, garden, carpet, planet.
- Take the first letter. Think of a word beginning with it that you can picture: for W, "wheelbarrow". Imagine it for a few seconds. Not a story, just the object.
- Find another word for the same letter, picture it, and keep going: walrus, wallet, waterfall, wool. Do not hunt for clever ones; the first that comes is fine.
- When you run dry, move to the next letter. I: igloo, ink, iron, island.
- When you finish the word, or lose your place, start a new word, or simply let yourself stop. If you have lost your place, that is a good sign.
A few practical notes. Skip any word that leads somewhere: if "invoice" comes up for I, drop it and pick another. If you notice you have drifted back into thinking, do not scold yourself; just return to the current letter. Keep the pace unhurried, roughly one image every five to ten seconds. There is no score.
Variations if the basic version doesn't suit
Some people find that spelling and letters feel like work. Alternatives on the same principle:
- Random objects without letters. Simply picture one unrelated object after another: a kettle, a lighthouse, a pair of wellies, a violin.
- Category walks. Pick a neutral category (fruit, tools, animals) and go through it alphabetically.
- Familiar routes. Walk mentally through a house you once lived in, or a journey you know well, noticing details in order.
These are less scrambled than proper shuffling, so a determined worry can sometimes slide back in underneath. If that keeps happening, return to the letter version, or combine it with slow breathing between images.
What the evidence says, honestly
The evidence for cognitive shuffling is limited. Beaudoin and colleagues presented preliminary findings at a sleep research conference in 2016 suggesting that people using the technique reported less pre-sleep arousal and easier sleep onset than a comparison group. That work has not, to our knowledge, been followed by large, peer-reviewed trials.
What can be said is that the technique is consistent with well-established ideas: that pre-sleep cognitive arousal delays sleep, that distraction from worry can reduce it, and that giving up effort helps. It is also free, safe and takes no training, which is a reasonable bar for something you try in bed at midnight. It is not a treatment for insomnia. If you have been struggling for weeks, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has far stronger evidence and is what NICE recommends; a GP or NHS Talking Therapies service can point you to it.
Where it fits with other approaches
Shuffling is an in-the-moment tool. It does not address why your mind was busy in the first place, so it works best alongside habits that reduce the load before bed, in particular writing a worry list early in the evening so there is less to shuffle away from.
Compared with other in-bed techniques: it is more absorbing than counting sheep, less physical than the military sleep method, and works on a different channel from breathing exercises, which target the body rather than the thoughts. If breathing makes you more aware of your breath and more awake, shuffling is a natural alternative. If your problem is a tense body rather than a busy mind, a body scan may suit you better.
Tonight's version
Once you are in bed and ready, pick a word from the room. Picture one thing per letter, then another, slowly, until you lose your place. If you find yourself thinking again, go back to the letter. If you are still wide awake and frustrated after twenty minutes or so, get up, keep the lights low, and come back when sleepy.
Cognitive shuffling is one of several in-bed tools in the Quiet the Mind guides; the 7-night plan below shows where it fits in a week.
Frequently asked questions
Does cognitive shuffling actually work?
For many people it helps them stop problem-solving and drift off, but the published evidence is thin: a small amount of preliminary research and a lot of anecdote. It is safe, free and quick to try, so the honest advice is to test it for a week and judge for yourself.
What is the best word for cognitive shuffling?
Any everyday word of five to eight letters with no emotional charge and no repeated letters works well: garden, bakery, window, planet. Avoid words connected to work, people or whatever you are worrying about. Change the word each night so the images stay fresh.
Is cognitive shuffling the same as counting sheep?
It is a cousin. Counting sheep is repetitive and predictable, which lets the worrying mind carry on underneath. Shuffling asks for a new, unrelated image each time, which takes more of your attention and leaves less room for thoughts to run.
Sources and further reading
- NHS Every Mind Matters: How to fall asleep faster and sleep better
- NHS: Insomnia
- Mind: Sleep problems
Written and reviewed by the Quiet Mind Sleep editorial team in line with our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Let us know.
