Sleep disorders affect a large part of the population. Indeed, according to Inserm data, “ 15 to 20% of the population suffers from insomnia, according to studies. And 9% of those affected suffer from a severe form with a significant impact on daily life. “. Anxiety, depression, chronic somatic diseases, genetic predispositions, omnipresence of blue screens, the factors that cause it are numerous.
Several methods exist to reduce the effects of insomnia, more or less effective, but here we will deal with a technique developed by a certain Luc Beaudouin. The latter offers a counterintuitive approach to falling asleep based on the controlled stimulation of cognitive processes: THE ” cognitive shuffle » which could be translated as “ mental overhaul ».
A gradual mental disconnection to sleep better
This method revolves around a precise, but not complex, protocol. The first step is to select a letter of the alphabet, for example “ P “. You will then have to choose a word of at least five letters starting with this letter – let’s take “ prism.” The essence of the shuffle lies in the deconstruction of the selected term: for each letter of the initial word, the mind must generate a new lexical association. So, ” prism » could result in “ pendulum “, ” reed “, ” moment “, ” silence “, ” melody ” And ” water “, For example.
The mental visualization of each word then creates a cascade of mental images without specific narrative coherence.
The neurobiological foundations of the process
The effectiveness of this technique is based on its ability to exploit the neurobiological mechanisms of attention. By forcing the brain to make random lexical associations, the cognitive shuffle creates a form of “ mental white noise » which gradually inhibits the activity of brain areas involved in analytical thinking and anxiety (prefrontal cortex and amygdala). These alternative cognitions will distract attention from anxiety-provoking stimuliinducing a physiological relaxation response and promoting sleep.
Beaudouin explains that this method provides the brain with an optimal amount of stimuli, sufficient to maintain light cognitive activity, but insufficient to trigger the mechanisms that maintain the waking state. However, in his 2014 studyBeaudoin recognizes that its theoretical model is still in the preliminary stage and calls for in-depth empirical research to validate these hypotheses.
- The shuffle consists of generating random mental associations by breaking down a word to successively imagine terms without a narrative link.
- By creating a “ mental white noise », the shuffle gradually deactivates the areas responsible for anxiety and analytical thinking, thus favoring relaxation.
- Although promising, this technique remains to be confirmed by empirical studies to fully validate its effectiveness.
