This is a trick to help you get a good, deep sleep quickly
The causes of sleep issues, which affect many people, can be either psychological, physical, or a combination of the two.
However, several sleep and cognitive specialists have discovered a useful mental trick called "cognitive shuffling" that promotes rapid and deep sleep.
Contemplating a particular letter
According to Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist and assistant professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada, "Cognitive confusion typically involves thinking of a particular letter and recalling random words beginning with that letter, provided the words are not associated with a memory that arouses emotion or sadness."
The American CNN network reported that he went on to say, "You have to think of as many words as possible for 5 to 8 seconds before moving on to the next letter."
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An individual might, for instance, begin by thinking of a word like "cat," then proceed to other words that start with the letter "qaf," such as "train," "cotton," and "palace," for no more than eight seconds before going on to the next letter.
In addition, Boudoin mentioned that he had been dealing with insomnia and sleep issues for a long time. He tried this trick, which surprised his wife by helping him fall asleep quickly.
An analysis of 154 college students
In 2016, he carried out a study on "cognitive confusion" in which 154 college students were split into two groups. One group used this novel trick before bed, while the other group did not.
Sleep quality significantly improved for the group that used cognitive shuffling; they fell asleep more quickly, deeper, and with greater quality than the other group.
"more at ease"
According to Florida-based sleep medicine specialist and neurologist Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, "this trick takes your mind off the problems and concerns that might be interfering with your sleep and helps you achieve a more relaxed state of mind," even though it may not seem soothing. She also said that she frequently recommends this method to her patients who are having trouble sleeping.
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According to Cammie McManus, a sleep psychologist in Philadelphia, "it may be more helpful to give our brains a calm or neutral distraction that is not connected to emotionally triggering memories than to let them dwell on any single event that might bring up a lot of negative thoughts."
Leah Kaylor, a psychologist in Louisiana, supports this sleep method as well, noting that users usually report falling asleep 5 to 15 minutes after employing it.
Experts note that this trick might not always work, particularly if the user has irregular sleep and wake-up times, consumes large amounts of coffee before bed, or uses screens a lot at night.