The Military Sleep Method takes practice — I use this hack instead to fall asleep in just 2 minutes

While I am a self-confessed great sleeper whose sleep latency (i.e. the time it takes to doze off) sits between five and 15 minutes most nights, according to my trusty Oura Ring, there are some nights I struggle to switch my brain off.

These nights tend to occur after social events (thanks hangxiety), which have picked up over the summer months, so what method have I fallen on to help me sleep? Cognitive shuffling.

Yes, the Military Sleep Method may be trending on TikTok, but there’s a major catch — it can take up to nine months to finesse. Instead, cognitive shuffling helps me fall asleep on restless nights. And you can try it (and see results) from tonight.

What is cognitive shuffling?

Coined in the early '00s by Canadian cognitive scientist Dr. Luc Beaudoin, cognitive shuffling is a sleep technique where you distract your mind from anxious thoughts by mentally reshuffling random, unrelated words and images.

Cognitive shuffling works by scrambling your thoughts to stop you overthinking. Neuroscientist and CEO of Defined Sleep Dr. Paul Muchowski explains: "This technique is more or less a mind trick that is used to calm your brain down by replacing those racing thoughts with other benign activity that is not stimulating. In cognitive shuffling you introduce random, neutral and non-emotional thoughts to distract your brain."

While trying to sleep, you purposefully think of unrelated objects or words. Soon, your brain should 'switch off' from trying to make connections or any sense between these objects. This process distracts you from thoughts that would otherwise keep you awake at night.

What makes cognitive shuffling different?

While the military sleep method focuses mainly on relaxing the body and releasing physical tension in muscles, cognitive shuffling works on the mind and is particularly helpful for people struggling to sleep because of anxious thoughts.

One of the most unusual aspects of cognitive shuffling is the fact that, unlike other sleep techniques, it doesn't involve relaxation. As Dr. Muchowski explains: "Whereas historically you might have heard someone tell you to relax or even count sheep to help you doze off, cognitive shuffling is an active process where you are trying to focus on a lot of different random thoughts to distract your brain into getting tired."

It took our Senior Sleep editor and Certified Sleep Science Coach Claire about six weeks of consistently practicing the Military Sleep Method for it to help her fall asleep in minutes, yet experts say cognitive shuffling can work much quicker. Dr. Muchowski says: "Most folks, especially those with anxiety and racing thoughts, report that cognitive shuffling helps them the very first time they try it."

Cognitive shuffling is the fall asleep fast method I keep in my back pocket for when I'm occasionally inflicted with a restless night. In my experience the technique works even after inconsistent use.

That said, Dr. Muchowski notes "practice makes perfect" when it comes to cognitive shuffling and repeating it regularly can improve how fast it helps you relax.

How to fall asleep fast with cognitive shuffling

Fancy sleep tech aside, cognitive shuffling is in fact one of the simplest ways to fall asleep fast, and is the trendy sleep hack favored by many members of our sleep team.

Dr. Muchowski says: "The idea is to briefly form an image in your brain for each word, then quickly move on to the next. If done properly, these mini mental gymnastics will be tiring and distracting enough for your brain that you will become sleepy."

But, what exactly does it entail? Follow the steps below to try it for yourself:

• Get into a comfortable position in bed
• Think of a random word or object
• Visualize the thing that word represents
• Think of as many words or objects as you can beginning with the same letter
• Move on to the second letter of your original word and think of as many words or objects as you can
• When you’ve completed every letter in your word, pick a new word and start again
• Repeat this process until you're snoozing

Note there are different variations of this hack and it's important to find the one that works for you. While some people like to move through each letter of their initial word, others like to think of an object for each letter of the alphabet.

3 other ways to get a reliably good night's sleep

You shouldn’t abandon all good sleep hygiene practices in the hope that cognitive shuffling will guarantee you a good night’s sleep. For it to work, make sure these things are in place too…

1. Make your bedroom sleep-friendly

From investing in the best mattress for your body and sleep needs and quality, comfortable bedding to keeping your bedroom cool and clean, there are many ways you can optimize your bedroom for sleep.

As lovely as it is to lounge around in bed on a slow day, it's also important not to spend too much time relaxing in your bedroom. This is because your body and mind will start to associate the room with wakefulness rather than sleep, inhibiting your ability to fall asleep quickly come nighttime.

2. Make time for a bedtime routine

A well-established nighttime routine, no matter your age, is key to getting a peaceful, restorative night sleep. This routine should include an activity you find relaxing, be that reading, meditating or stretching, along with a warm shower.

This will help your body and mind wind down and let go of stress before cognitive shuffling steps in to fully switch off your brain for sleep.

3. Go to bed around the same time every night

A regular sleep schedule helps align your circadian rhythm so your body gets used to releasing sleep hormones (melatonin) and alertness hormones (cortisol) at the same time each day, making the transitions from wakefulness to sleep and sleep to wakefulness easier.

When you go to bed at the same time each day, your body will naturally feel sleepy around this time, promoting sleep onset.

Will cognitive shuffling work for everyone?

Of course, there's a caveat here. As with every sleep hack, cognitive shuffling is not guaranteed to work for everyone who struggles to sleep. Most sleep experts agree that those with anxiety and racing thoughts are most likely to benefit from this technique.

A word of advice from Dr. Muchowski: "Ultimately, it is worth trying, but if it does not work for you, consider trying other techniques and approaches such as the military sleep method, breathing exercises, meditation, etc."

"In cases of severe insomnia, one should consult their doctor to see if they should try cognitive behavioral therapy—the gold standard for the treatment of insomnia," he adds.