The sleep toolkit: cognitive shuffling and other tools to overcome insomnia
Sleep can sometimes be elusive. Like most health conditions, there can be a variety of causes, remedying it may require different solutions. However, If you’re prone to insomnia, there’s a new technique that’s worth adding to your toolbox.
Cognitive shuffling
Cognitive shuffling is a nifty practice that encourages sleep by distracting your mind. You can use this for any sleep phase issues; falling asleep, waking in the night or too early in the morning. But it’s more likely to be effective if your insomnia is caused by an active mind. Visualising random objects or words helps our brain switch gears from anxious thoughts to a more relaxed state. Essentially, cognitive shuffling tricks the brain into thinking it’s safe to fall asleep and switch off.
While the name sounds complex, the technique is simple.
- When you’re ready to sleep, choose a word with four to six different letters, for example yacht.
- Starting with ‘y’, think of words starting with that letter, visualising each one before moving onto the next word. This step is important! For ‘y’ it might begin with yellow, think of the word then imagine the colour. The next word might be yummy, once you’ve got the word visualise something delicious. And so on. Don’t over think it.
- When it gets difficult to think of another ‘y’ word, move onto ‘a’ and continue until you fall asleep.
This distraction technique is easy, doesn’t require technology and can be done anytime you want to swich off and sleep. As someone prone to sleeplessness, I’ve road tested cognitive shuffling for a couple of months and found the technique effective more often than not.
The insomnia toolbox
If you regularly experience insomnia, a combination of approaches may work best. Here are some other ‘tools’ to consider.
- Invest in a comfortable eye mask that fully blocks out light.
- If your environment is noisy, use ear plugs.
- The right bedding matters. Try cotton blankets rather than a feather doona so you don’t overheat.
- Avoid screens two hours before bed and be mindful of blue light sources.
- Take a break from caffeine (including coffee, chocolate, green/black/white tea and energy drinks), or stick to one cup in the morning before 11 am.
- Drink water throughout the day, not just before bed.
- Consider an at-home sleep test to see if you’re experiencing sleep apnoea.
- Exercise during the day and maximise physical activity during daylight hours.
- Get up at the same time every day.
- Spend time outside as exposure to sunlight helps set your ‘sleep clock’.
- Try meditation, tai chi, journaling or other relaxing techniques.
- Avoid alcohol, it really is the enemy of healthy sleep!
- Consult a naturopath or health professional to treat the underlying cause of your insomnia.
Need help to sleep better? Work with Gill, online around Australia and globally.