There are a lot of TikToK trends out there claiming they can help you sleep better. Over the past few months, for example, everyone has been talking about cricketing, which involves rubbing your feet together in bed to calm your nervous system and reduce stress.
The latest TikTok health trend making the rounds is cognitive shuffling for sleep. What exactly is cognitive shufflingâand, most importantly, does it really work? Keep reading to learn all about cognitive shuffling for sleep and whether itâs effective.
What is cognitive shuffling?
Cognitive shufflingâmore formally known as Serial Diverse Imagining (SDI)âis a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) technique used to distract the mind by scrambling the thoughts that are keeping you too alert to fall asleep.
It involves shifting your mindâs focus from what might be anxious or troubling thoughts to neutral images and words that are more conducive to sleep.
Other CBT techniques besides cognitive shuffling are also useful for falling asleep. For example, cognitive reframing aims to reduce the anxiety that can keep sleep at bay by replacing negative thoughts with more positive ones.
Cognitive shufflingâmore formally known as Serial Diverse Imagining (SDI)âis a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) technique used to distract the mind by scrambling the thoughts that are keeping you too alert to fall asleep.
Meditation can help you be more relaxed by clearing your mind before sleep, focusing on breathing, reducing muscle tension, and turning down the bodyâs stress hormones.
What may be the oldest CBT technique, dating to the 12th century, is counting sheep in your mind.
Like these other CBT techniques, cognitive shuffling can help disrupt the mindâs processes of memory, evaluation, planning, scheduling, and problem-solving. It can move you from a state of alertness to one in which youâre better able to fall asleep.
Benefits of cognitive shuffling
Cognitive shuffling can be helpful in reducing anxiety and bringing sleep more quickly.
âThe main thing,â says Lauri Leadley, founder, president, and clinical sleep educator at Valley Sleep Center in Ariz., âis that cognitive shuffling takes your mind off whatever is weighing heavily in your thoughts and gets you to imagine both visually and mentally other random things.â
Cognitive shuffling techniques
âIf I were to practice cognitive shuffling,â Leadley says, âIâd lie down, close my eyes, and think of a letter. Iâd then think about a word or words that begin with that letterâthat have nothing to do with anxious thoughtsâand spell it, visualize it, and imagine it in the context of whatever it means to me at the moment. And then Iâd move on to another random âthing.ââ
Whatever technique you use, the goal is simply to move you from a high state of alertness to the point where youâre drifting off to sleep.
Watch sleep scientist Matthew Walker, PhD, explain the benefits of CBT for insomnia:
Cognitive shuffling vs. traditional meditation
Leadley, who considers herself âa strong proponent of breathing and meditation practices before bedtime,â says the difference between cognitive shuffling and traditional meditation is that meditation âinvolves setting an intention.â
She describes meditation as âdwelling on the thought, manifesting it within your mindâs eye, breathing in, out, allowing the thought to calm and relax you, make you smile, sigh, doze.â
On the other hand, Leadley says cognitive shuffling thoughts âare randomâthereâs no rhyme or reason why your mind goes âthere.â Itâs a distraction from the stress and anxiety of the day.â
âIf I were to practice cognitive shuffling, Iâd lie down, close my eyes, and think of a letter. Iâd then think about a word or words that begin with that letterâthat have nothing to do with anxious thoughtsâand spell it, visualize it, and imagine it in the context of whatever it means to me at the moment. And then Iâd move on to another random âthing.ââ -Lauri Leadley, founder, president, and clinical sleep educator at Valley Sleep Center
How to try cognitive shuffling for sleep
A simple DIY cognitive shuffle technique can look like this:
- Get yourself into bed and ready for sleep.
- Think of a random, emotionally neutral word with at least five letters and no repeating letters.
- Gradually spell out the word. For each letter of the word, think of a word that starts with that letter. Imagine the item that word represents. Repeat this as many times as you like for each letter of the word.
FAQs
Does cognitive shuffling work?
âIt does for some people,â Leadley says, adding, âFor me, itâs no different than counting myself to sleep, creating a pattern with numbers, running them on repeatâbackward, forward, in pairs or groups. It doesnât have any emotional meaningâitâs a distraction and an attempt to get to sleep.â
What is the cognitive shuffle sleep hack?
Hereâs how to do the cognitive shuffle sleep hack:
- Pick a random letter.
- Visualize a word that begins with that letterâsomething you can picture thatâs emotionally neutral.
- Keep thinking of new words that begin with that letter. Pause and imagine each item, but donât linger on them or create stories about them.
- Move on to the next letter when you get bored or stuck for images that begin with the letter.
- Keep going until you fall asleep.
Can a breathing necklace calm your anxiety and help you catch more Zâs? Next, learn all about the benefits of breathing necklaces for sleep.
This article originally appeared on Saatva.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Do Millennials Sleep Better than Boomers?
You may have seen the news stories lately about how Gen Zâs attitude toward life is different from older generations. More specifically, Gen Z is known for prioritizing work/life balance and being more vocal about their mental health struggles.
It turns out Gen Zâand their adjacent age cohort, Millennialsâalso have healthier sleep habits compared to their older counterparts.
According to a recent survey of 2,000 Americans conducted in partnership with YouGov, Gen Z (ages 18-27) and Millennials (ages 28-43) report better sleep quality than Gen X (ages 44-59) and Boomers (60+).
Curious to learn more about how young people are leading the charge when it comes to prioritizing their sleep and the specific sleep problems each generation is currently facing? Ahead is a deep dive into the survey results.
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On average, 75% of Americans get six to eight hours of sleep each night, while 14% get five hours of sleep or less.
Gen Z and Millennials sleep the most, with 85% getting six or more hours of sleep per night. Gen X, on the other hand, reports the least amount of sleep, with 18% getting five hours of sleep or less.
Shantha Gowda, PsyD, founder of Think Sleep, notes that Gen X is the âsandwichâ generation, meaning theyâre raising young children and dealing with aging parents. This could be why theyâre sleeping less than other age groups.
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Most Americans rate their sleep as average (three out of five). When broken down by age group, Gen Z and Millennials report higher rates of good sleep compared to the overall average, while Gen X and Boomers report higher rates of poor sleep.
âYounger people tend to report better sleep quality than older people,â says Gowda. âItâs a common topic that I see in my practice.â
Jessica P., a Gen Xer, shares her struggles with waking up throughout the night: âWhile I consistently wake up at 7 am to start my day, I never really sleep through the night without waking up,â she says. âSometimes, I wake up around 5 am randomly, and when this happens, itâs just a matter of being disciplined enough to go back to bed and not look at my phone or stay up.â
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The most common bedtime across all generations is between 10 pm and 12 am. However, Gen Z has the highest percentage of individuals going to bed after midnight, with 30% reporting later bedtimes.
People in their teens and early 20s naturally fall asleep later and are also dealing with things like homework, college classes, using screens at night, and work, explains Gowda.
Guadalupe M., a Gen Z elementary school teacher, says her sleep schedule varies as she manages work, the gym, and her social life. âI typically go to bed on the weekdays between 11 pm and 1 am, and I wake up between 4:20 am and 5:30 am at the latest,â she says.
The most popular wake-up time across generations is between 6 am and 8 am. Gen Z tends to wake up later than other generations.
This could be due to Gen Z entering the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic when many companies moved to remote work. âA rise in remote work could be contributing to increased sleep time and a later wake-up time,â says Gowda.
Boomers have the highest percentage of early risers, with 13% waking up before 5 am.
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A majority (43%) of our survey respondents sleep with a partner, while 19% of all Americans sleep with their pets. However, 21% of Boomer couples actually sleep in separate bedsâa concept known as a âsleep divorce.â
Sleep divorces donât necessarily indicate relationship issues; instead, many partners choose this arrangement to improve their health, sleep hygiene, and overall sleep quality, which could benefit the relationship.
Anthony P., a Boomer, shares that he and his wife sleep separately due to his snoring. âI wake myself up many times during the night due to snoring,â he says. âSo, my wife and I havenât slept in the same bed in years.â
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Sleep affects men and women differently due to various biological and lifestyle factors. These factors includeâbut are not limited toâhormonal differences, body temperature, stress and mental health, caregiving responsibilities, and pain sensitivity.
Here are some of the biggest differences found between men and women in the survey:
- More women (37%) have trouble falling asleep than men (31%)
- More women (40%) have trouble staying asleep than men (35%)
- More men (45%) rate their overall sleep quality as good than women (36%)
âMy sleep quality right now is a three out of five because I have a 4-month-old baby and a 3-year-old toddler who recently transitioned to a new toddler bed and has been getting up every now and then,â says Tiffany A., a Millennial. âThe baby also wakes up for feedings, so I get maybe a good four-hour stretch of sleep at the beginning and then it varies throughout the night.â
Tiffany adds that she wakes up feeling groggy and sleepy due to her four-month-oldâs sleep regression. âIâve been partly dreaming and unsure of whatâs reality or a dream,â she says. âSometimes, I imagine waking up, which prompts me to get up in real time and check on my baby. This leaves me feeling groggy and confused, like âWhatâs happening?â and also feeling sleepy as he often wakes up during my deep sleep.â
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In a 2021 survey amid the height of the pandemic, 2,000 Americans were asked about their top sleep disruptors. Their answers included next-day anxiety (41%), replaying the dayâs events (37%), and temperature discomfort (31%).
In the most recent survey, the top sleep disruptors were different. This year, whatâs keeping people awake at night includes finances (35%), physical health (33%), work (25%), and friends/family (25%).
Gen Z is most affected by social media, work, and finances; Millennials and Gen X by finances, physical health, and work; Boomers by physical health, finances, and current events.
Jorge T., a Gen Z police officer, shares his worries about finances and work, particularly since buying a home and expecting a baby. âAs Iâm doing my stuff for the night, Iâm like, âI need to pay this bill by tomorrow, I need to do this, I need to do that,ââ he says. âAnd then I wonder, âHow is work going to go tomorrow with a new case? Or why am I being dispatched to patrol this specific area tomorrow?ââ
Physical health issues like back pain/chronic pain (31%), insomnia (20%), and sleep apnea (15%) also disrupt sleep, especially for the older age groups of Gen Xers and Boomers. Gowda attributes some of these sleep disruptors to undiagnosed conditions in older generations.
Anthony P., who works in the restaurant industry, experiences back pain caused by being on his feet for prolonged periods at his job, which delays his sleep. âSometimes, Iâm so beat up that Iâm in pain, making it take longer to fall asleep,â he says. Anthony also suspects he may have sleep apnea, although he hasnât been tested for it.
Millennials are especially affected by insomnia, given they are often at the peak of their career while juggling parenthood. Engaging with social media affects their sleep too.
âI scroll through my Instagram account or read through some of the news alerts as Iâm winding down at night, and thatâs probably not always a good idea because it gives me anxiety,â says Tiffany A. âWith work, itâs more like, âHow do I balance everything when Iâm off maternity leave and go back?â Iâm caring for kids while being sleep-deprived.â
Social media usage most significantly impacts Gen Zâs sleep, with 35% of people in this age group stating that engaging with social media is the number one disruptor of their sleep.
Research shows social media usage can contribute to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, which can lead to insomnia. Whatâs more, exposure to blue light from a phone screen can also disrupt a personâs natural circadian rhythm and sleep.
However, Gowda says completely cutting out screens before bed isnât necessarily the solution. If youâre sitting in a room all day with no sunlight, then a screen before bed is going to impact you more, she explains.
Plus, what youâre watching on your phone has a lot to do with how it affects your sleep. If youâre scrolling through social media and seeing things that are constantly getting your nervous system going, then thatâs going to negatively impact your sleep, she says. Thatâs different from if youâre watching a comedy that relaxes you before bed.
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The survey revealed these were the top habits Americans have eliminated before bed for better sleep:
- 35% stopped drinking caffeinated beverages
- 30% stopped eating large meals
- 24% stopped drinking large quantities of water
Caffeine consumption before bed is the most common habit people have ditched. According to Gowda, caffeine is a significantly underestimated sleep disruptor in the US.
âA lot of things have caffeine that you donât realize, and it can still impact middle-of-the-night awakenings and you wonât even know it,â she says.
Alternatively, these are the top habits Americans have adopted to enhance their sleep:
- 61% have tried playing or listening to music
- 50% bought a comfortable mattress and bedding
- 44% have tried exercising
- 36% changed the temperature in their room
- 29% have tried meditation
- 24% added light dimmers and relaxing sounds
Music, surprisingly, emerged as the most popular sleep-improving habit across all generations, especially among Gen Z. On the other hand, more Millennials than any other generation reported trying exercise or meditation to aid their shuteye.
In interviews, individuals across generations shared the sleep aids that are currently on their radar, including magnesium powder, sleep masks, nighttime skincare, and earplugs.
âI started taking magnesium powder before bed, which has helped me stay asleep and have deeper sleep cycles,â says Jessica P. âI mix the powder with a cup of boiled water and take it around 10 pm or earlier. Itâs become a regular thing.â
Meanwhile, Gowda notes that while new bedding wonât suddenly make you sleep better, âIt will create a positive association that will evoke joy and relax your nervous systemâand that will promote better sleep.â
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The survey concluded with an open-ended question, asking participants to share the one thing thatâs impacted their sleep the most in the past year, whether positive or negative.
The most common responses were:
- No noticeable issue (153 responses)
- New mattress purchase (96 responses)
- Stress (63 responses)
- General health issues (43 responses)
- Specific health condition (39 responses)
- Starting a new job (27 responses)
- Transition to retirement (26 responses)
Notably, a significant portion of respondents said a new mattress purchase had a considerable effect on their sleep. This makes sense given that a new mattress can help alleviate back pain and provide a more comfortable sleep surface.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2017 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 8th â 12th April 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).
This article originally appeared on Saatva.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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