If you’ve been perusing social media recently – maybe late at night when you should be sleeping but just can’t seem to drift off – chances are you’ve come across those videos advocating for a sleep-inducing technique known as “cognitive shuffling”.
The concept, as its proponents explain, involves engaging your mind with random ideas and images using a specific method:
- Choose a random word (like “cake”)
- Concentrate on the first letter of the word (in this case, C) and list out a series of words that start with that letter: cat, carrot, calendar, and so on
- Mentally visualize each word as you go along
- Once you feel ready, move on to the next letter (A) and repeat the process
- Continue this pattern with each letter of the original word (in this case, K and then E) until you either decide to switch to a new word or drift off to sleep.
This technique has gained popularity on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, but is there any scientific basis to support “cognitive shuffling”?
Origins of the Idea
The cognitive shuffling technique was introduced by Canadian researcher Luc P. Beaudoin over a decade ago when he published a paper on how what he termed “serial diverse imagining” could aid in sleep.
@dr.karanr Cognitive shuffling @Joel Chesters
One of Beaudoin’s hypothetical examples involved a woman thinking of the word “blanket”, then imagining a bicycle (and picturing a bicycle), purchasing (visualizing buying shoes), banana (imagining a banana tree), and so forth.
Eventually, Beaudoin describes how she transitions to the letter L, contemplating her friend Larry, the word “like” (envisioning her son embracing his dog).
She then shifts to the letter A, envisioning the word “Amsterdam”:
and she might vaguely envision the large hand of a sailor beckoning for more fries in an Amsterdam pub while a discordant accordion plays in the background.
Sleep then ensues. According to Beaudoin, the objective is to briefly think about:
a neutral or pleasant target and switch frequently to unrelated targets (typically every 5-15 seconds).
It is advised not to try to establish connections between words or seek links between them; rather, resist the mind’s natural inclination to find meaning.
Although research on this technique is still in its early stages, the concept is rooted in scientific findings. Studies indicate that good sleepers tend to have different types of thoughts while in bed compared to individuals with poor sleep patterns.
Individuals with insomnia tend to focus more on worries, problems, or environmental noises, and often fixate on the inability to fall asleep.
Conversely, good sleepers typically experience dream-like, hallucinatory, less structured thoughts before falling asleep.
Evaluating the Effectiveness
Cognitive shuffling aims to replicate the thought patterns of proficient sleepers by simulating the random and dream-like thoughts they typically experience before falling asleep.
In particular, Beaudoin’s research delineates two categories of sleep-related thoughts: insomnolent (anti-sleep) and pro-somnolent (sleep-promoting) thoughts.
Insomnolent thoughts encompass worrying, planning, rehearsing, and brooding over perceived issues or shortcomings.
On the other hand, pro-somnolent thoughts involve ideas that facilitate sleep, such as dream-like imagery or maintaining a tranquil, relaxed state of mind.
Cognitive shuffling seeks to divert attention from or disrupt insomnolent thoughts. It offers a serene, neutral path for your racing mind and can alleviate the anxiety associated with sleeplessness.
Furthermore, cognitive shuffling signals to your brain that you are prepared for sleep.
In fact, the process of mentally “shuffling” between various thoughts mirrors the way your brain naturally transitions into sleep. As sleep approaches, brain activity diminishes. Your brain begins generating disconnected images and fleeting scenes, known as hypnagogic hallucinations, without any deliberate effort to make sense of them.
By emulating these scattered, disjointed, and random thought patterns, cognitive shuffling may facilitate the shift from wakefulness to sleep.
Preliminary research on this technique is promising. Beaudoin and his team have demonstrated that serial diverse imagining helps reduce arousal before sleep, enhance sleep quality, and lessen the effort required to fall asleep.
Nevertheless, with only a limited number of research studies, further investigation is warranted.
If It Doesn’t Yield Results
As with any new strategy, practice is key. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate improvements; these things take time.
Stay committed and compassionate towards yourself.
Remember, what works for one person may not work for another. Different individuals respond better to varying strategies based on their stress levels and thought processes.
Other approaches to create conducive conditions for sleep include:
If despite your best efforts, nighttime thoughts persist and affect your sleep or overall well-being, consider seeking assistance from a healthcare professional or a trained sleep specialist.
Melinda Jackson, Associate Professor at Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University and Eleni Kavaliotis, Research Fellow in the Sleep, Cognition, and Mood Laboratory at Monash University, Monash University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The impact of climate change on global food security
Climate change is a pressing issue that is affecting people and ecosystems around the world. One of the most significant impacts of climate change is on global food security. As temperatures continue to rise and weather patterns become more erratic, the ability of farmers to produce enough food to feed the growing global population is being threatened.
One of the key ways in which climate change is affecting food security is through changes in precipitation patterns. In many parts of the world, rainfall is becoming less predictable, with some areas experiencing more frequent and intense droughts, while others are seeing increased flooding. These changes in precipitation can have a devastating impact on crop yields, leading to food shortages and increased food prices.
Rising temperatures are also a major factor in the impact of climate change on food security. As temperatures increase, the growing seasons for many crops are changing, leading to reduced yields and crop failures. In addition, warmer temperatures can also lead to an increase in pests and diseases that can damage crops, further reducing food production.
Another way in which climate change is affecting food security is through its impact on water resources. As temperatures rise, water availability is becoming increasingly scarce in many parts of the world, leading to water shortages for irrigation and other agricultural purposes. This can have a significant impact on crop yields and food production, particularly in regions that are already facing water scarcity.
In addition to these direct impacts on food production, climate change is also affecting food security through its impact on food distribution and access. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, can disrupt food supply chains and lead to food shortages in affected areas. In addition, the impacts of climate change are often felt most acutely by vulnerable populations, such as small-scale farmers and low-income communities, who may lack the resources to adapt to changing conditions.
In order to address the impact of climate change on global food security, it is essential that we take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. This includes investing in sustainable agriculture practices, such as conservation agriculture and agroforestry, that can help farmers adapt to changing conditions and improve soil health and water management. It also involves increasing investment in research and development of climate-resilient crop varieties and agricultural technologies that can help to increase food production in the face of changing climate conditions.
Ultimately, addressing the impact of climate change on global food security requires a coordinated and collaborative effort from governments, businesses, and individuals around the world. By taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience in our food systems, we can help to ensure that all people have access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food, now and in the future.
