'I'm an NHS doctor – easy shuffling method can help you fall asleep in minutes'

Woman trying to sleep
-Credit:Getty Images/iStockphoto


When you're lying in bed, trying to get to sleep and worrying about work the next day, it's easy for your mind to start spiralling. If you're overthinking and your mind is racing, it could mean you have insomnia, a sleep disorder where you struggle to get to, or say asleep.

Insomnia is a common problem, affecting around one in three people in the UK, and although having it occasionally won't necessarily cause any issues, if it's persistent it can affect your quality of life. A doctor has recommended the next time you're struggling to sleep, to try out something called cognitive shuffling.

Taking to TikTok, NHS doctor and GP Amir Khan, who regularly appears on Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, has said this is something you should try if your "mind just won't stop churning out stressful thoughts", and when your "brain is too active to let you sleep". According to the Bradford-based doctor, your thoughts are actually telling your brain that it's not safe to sleep - so you're stuck in a vicious circle.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: Netflix rival that's completely free has nearly 100 million users with new shows and movies

READ MORE: Nutritionist warns you 'should never' use common cooking ingredient when cooking eggs

Explaining the technique, Dr Khan said: "Rather than counting sheep, there is now an alternative technique you can use called cognitive shuffling. The idea is that it interrupts your racing mind and instead scrambles your thoughts, inviting the brain to go into sleep mode, assuring it that it is safe to sleep."

Dr Khan said the method is "fairly easy" to do, and involves just getting into bed as normal, and lying down. Then you need to think of a word "that has no emotional connection to you". "It's really important that the word is completely neutral to you and has no repeating letters," he added.

He suggested examples such as the words 'bed' or 'dream'. Using 'dream' as an example, he continued: "Now think of the word bed, and think of as many words as you can beginning with that letter [b], and as you do, picture those objects in your mind's eye." So in this instance, bed begins with the letter b, so you need to think of other words that begin with that letter. For example, bat, binoculars, baseball and banana.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Once I've exhausted the letter b, I move on to the next letter, which is e. Now I'm thinking emus, elephants, eyes, and picturing at the same time. I do the same with the letter d. And once I've finished with the word bed, if I'm not already asleep, I'll think of another word and do the same with that until I do fall asleep," he explained.

If this method doesn't work for you, and you're worried about your sleep, speak to your GP.