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Dear Doctors: I recently read about a way to fall asleep faster where you think about a word for a few seconds and then move on to another word. I tried it using a word for every letter in the alphabet and never got much beyond J. Is there an explanation for why this would work?
Dear Reader: You are referring to a sleep technique known as cognitive shuffling. Developed about 15 years ago by a researcher in Canada, it is meant to ease the mind into a diffuse and almost dreamlike state. For many of us, getting the brain to power down at the end of the day can be a challenge. We replay events, review unsolved problems or unfinished tasks and jump ahead to tomorrow. Cognitive shuffling was designed to interrupt that spiral.
As you have described, the technique involves visualizing something neutral or pleasant for a few seconds, then shifting your attention to a new mental image. In one widely shared example, the starting word for a cognitive shuffle is "cake." The person uses each letter of the word as a prompt for a series of unrelated images. For the letter C, they might picture a cloud, a celery stalk, a colander and a candle before moving on to words beginning with A, then K and finally E. Your technique of running through the alphabet using pleasant or neutral images achieves the same result.
Although it can seem like a simple mental exercise, this approach has roots in sleep science. It mimics a presleep state known as hypnagogic imagery. This is a brief, transitional phase that occurs as we gradually let go of wakefulness. The phase lasts anywhere from one to five minutes. It is marked by vivid and fragmented imagery, almost like microdreams. The brain hopscotches from one scenario to another as it moves into the first stage of sleep. When you practice cognitive shuffling, you recreate that same drifting, disjointed flow.
For those who would like to try cognitive shuffling, there are a few simple guidelines to keep in mind. Whether it's a starting word (the "cake" example) or, as the letter writer does, running the alphabet, use the approach that feels easiest. Choose neutral or pleasant words and images. The idea is to avoid things that might lead to the concentrated thought involved in planning or problem-solving.
Currently, research into cognitive shuffling is limited. It seems to be most useful when an overactive brain blocks the path to sleep. The technique may be less effective for people with high levels of arousal. This could be due to stimulating activity like intense exercise or using stimulants such as caffeine. People with chronic insomnia or those with sleep disorders often need more targeted care. Whatever the scientific basis for the success of cognitive shuffling turns out to be, the fact that you haven't yet had to come up with K or L or M images suggests it is working for you.
(Send your questions to [email protected], or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1955, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)
(Eve Glazier, M.D., MBA, is an internist and professor of medicine at UCLA Health Sciences. She hosts the "Medically Speaking" podcast for UCLA Health. Elizabeth Ko, M.D., is an internist and associate professor of medicine at UCLA Health.)
COPYRIGHT 2026 UCLA HEALTH
COPYRIGHT 2026 UCLA HEALTH
