Dr Amir Khan has shared an "easy" brain trick to use when you "just can't get off to sleep," calling it his "best advice" for quieting the mind at night. Getting enough sleep is vital for health and well-being; poor sleep can leave you tired, irritable, and unable to function, while long-term insomnia raises the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. According to the NHS, about one in three people experience sleep issues at least once in their lives.
What is cognitive shuffling?
In a video posted to Instagram, Dr Amir Khan explained cognitive shuffling, a method that tells your brain it's "safe to sleep." He wrote in the caption: "I get so many DMs about sleep and how it can be improved, alongside all the usual sleep hygiene stuff - this is honestly my best advice. Try it."
Dr Khan described how many people lie in bed with a racing mind, thinking about work, money, kids, and problems. "Your brain is too active to let you sleep. In fact, the stress of all of these thoughts tells the brain that it's not safe to sleep, and you have to stay on high alert." He suggested cognitive shuffling as an alternative to counting sheep, as it interrupts the racing mind and invites the brain to "go into sleep mode."
How to perform cognitive shuffling
Dr Khan explained the technique step by step:
- First, get into bed and lie down.
- Think of a word that has no emotional connection to you, ideally with no repeating letters. Good examples are "bed" or "dream."
- Take each letter of the word and think of as many words as you can beginning with that letter, picturing those objects in your mind's eye. For example, with "bed," start with the letter B: think of "binoculars," "baseball," "banana" and visualize them.
- Move to the next letter E: think of "emus," "elephants," "eyes" and picture them.
- Do the same with the letter D.
- If you haven't fallen asleep by the end of the word, pick another neutral word and repeat the process until you do.
Dr Khan added: "If you're struggling with sleeping, give this technique a go, it's worth a try. But if you're really worried about sleep, speak to a healthcare professional."
How much sleep do we need?
The NHS states that the average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Children generally need nine to 13 hours, while toddlers and babies require 12 to 17 hours. You should see a GP if changing your sleeping habits has not helped your insomnia, you've had trouble sleeping for months, or your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard to cope.
