An NHS physician shared his top sleep tip for night shifts, calling it a ‘life-changing’ hack. Dr. Arthur, a trainee in NHS Pediatrics, regularly posts educational content on TikTok under the handle @dr_arthur_. According to him, the key to better sleep is a technique he calls ‘cognitive shuffling,’ which helps calm the mind for quick sleep onset.
In a video, Dr. Arthur explained the concept behind cognitive shuffling, stating that it distracts the brain from anxious thoughts, signaling it’s safe to sleep. The method involves thinking of unrelated random words and visualizing what they represent. By continuously shifting focus between words, the brain relaxes, aiding in falling asleep faster.
The video gained popularity on social media, accumulating over 10k likes. Users shared variations of the technique, such as going through the alphabet with different themes. Another user mentioned spelling words backward as an effective method for them.
Calm, a wellness platform, highlighted the benefits of cognitive shuffling in improving sleep. The technique was developed by Dr. Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist, to expedite the brain’s transition into a dreamy state before sleep. By engaging in word association exercises like focusing on letters and coming up with related words, the mind gradually loses focus, aiding the sleep process.