A simple hack can help knock you out within minutes (Image: Getty)
Lying awake at night, your mind racing with stressful thoughts, can feel like an endless battle against .
For those moments when counting sheep simply isn’t enough, a shared by and could be a game-changer.
The Bradford-based doctor, known for his appearances on Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, has revealed a technique called cognitive shuffling that could help calm your overactive mind and allow you to drift off more easily.
According to Dr Khan, when your brain is overloaded with anxious or stressful thoughts, it interprets them as signals that it’s unsafe to sleep.
This keeps you in a cycle of sleeplessness.
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Your brain interprets anxious thoughts as signals that it is unsafe to sleep (Image: Getty)
Cognitive shuffling helps interrupt these racing thoughts and shifts your mind into a calmer, more neutral state, making it easier to fall asleep, he explained.
He 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 describes the method as “fairly easy” to implement. Firstly, get into bed and lie down as you normally would to prepare for sleep.
Then, choose a neutral word, make sure you pick a word that is emotionally neutral and doesn’t carry personal significance.
Dr Khan suggests examples like “bed” or “dream.” Avoid words with repeating letters.
Then, using your chosen word, think of as many other words as possible that begin with the same letter and visualize each object or idea.
For instance, if you choose the word “bed,” start with the letter “b” and picture words like “bat,” “binoculars,” “baseball,” and “banana.”
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Once you’ve exhausted all possibilities for the first letter, move on to the next. For “bed,” you’d proceed to “e” and think of words like “emu,” “elephant,” and “eyes.” Repeat the process for each letter.
If you’re still awake after finishing the word, choose a new one and repeat the process until sleep takes over.
The technique works by gently distracting your brain, giving it something neutral and repetitive to focus on instead of stressful or intrusive thoughts.
This process helps assure your brain that it’s safe to relax, paving the way for sleep.
Cognitive shuffling is not only simple but also free and non-invasive, making it an appealing alternative to medications or other interventions for sleep troubles.
Dr Khan’s practical tip has gained traction on , with many viewers praising the method for its effectiveness in overcoming restless nights.