Ever find yourself lying in bed, lights off, only for your brain to decide it’s time for a 3 AM sprint? For people with ADHD, late-night racing thoughts are like an Olympic event. All those stray thoughts — from that thing you said last Tuesday to an idea for a new side hustle — start zipping around, and sleep becomes a distant memory. That’s where cognitive shuffling comes in, a technique that can help shift your mind out of hyperdrive and into something resembling a snooze-friendly pace.
So, What’s Cognitive Shuffling?
Cognitive shuffling is a fancy way of saying “distracting your brain until it gets bored enough to let you sleep.” It involves taking random words or images and focusing on them one at a time, in a way that doesn’t make logical sense. Picture a completely unrelated series of objects — like a tree, a lemon, a dog wearing a hat. Your mind hops from one to the next, forcing those racing thoughts to take a backseat. The randomness works by disrupting the usual spiral of overthinking because the brain has to shift gears constantly instead of latching onto a single worry.
Why It Works for People with ADHD
Our ADHD brains love stimulation, especially when we’re supposed to be winding down. Racing thoughts are often a result of this craving for mental activity. Cognitive shuffling helps by giving the brain just enough stimulation to stay engaged but not enough to trigger a full-on tangent. It’s like tricking your brain into a mental lullaby — one that’s random enough to keep it interested but boring enough to eventually let it drift off.
Step-by-Step: How to Cognitive Shuffle
Here’s a quick guide to shuffling your way to sleep:
1. Pick a Simple Word: Start with something neutral, like “cat” or “book.”
2. List Random Associations: Think of random, unrelated images associated with that word. If you start with “book,” you might picture a library, then maybe a forest (random, I know), then a cup of tea. The key is to keep it unconnected.
3. Switch Focus: After about 5-10 seconds, move to another unrelated word, and repeat the process. If you start feeling drowsy, don’t fight it — let yourself drift off.
Tips for a Better Cognitive Shuffle
• Keep It Light: Avoid any heavy topics, even if they seem harmless. We’re aiming for random, not stress-inducing.
• Stay Neutral: If your brain wants to throw in something too stimulating, like that email you forgot to send, skip it and return to the shuffle.
• Stay Consistent: It might feel strange at first, but the more you practice, the easier it gets.
Real Talk: Cognitive Shuffling and ADHD Insomnia
Let’s get real for a second — sometimes the struggle with ADHD and insomnia is a complete tug-of-war. Cognitive shuffling isn’t a magic cure, but it’s one more tool in the toolkit. And on those nights when your brain decides to give you a running commentary at 3 AM, a quick cognitive shuffle might just be enough to tip you into sleep.
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