A new sleep technique called cognitive shuffling has gone viral after a doctor recommended it for those who wake up at 3am with a racing mind. The method involves choosing a random word and thinking of objects starting with each letter to distract the brain from stressful thoughts.
Bradford GP Amir Khan explained that cognitive shuffling interrupts the brain's active problem-solving mode, helping it to relax into sleep. He suggested neutral words like 'bed' or 'dream' as starting points.
However, one woman's attempt to try the trick led to a heated argument with her husband over the choice of starting word. She selected 'cloud', but her husband proposed 'mound', which she described as a 'noise' rather than a word, causing them to stay awake arguing well past 3am.
The woman expressed dismay at her husband's choice, questioning their compatibility. 'Mound is less a word, more a noise, like bleurgh or ugh,' she said. 'It's a state of mind. A mound mind.'
