You lie down in bed. You are exhausted. You close your eyes. Brain: “Hey, remember that embarrassing thing you said in 2014?” Brain: “Also, did you reply to that email?”
Why does this happen?
In our modern lives, we don’t have a “transition period.” We go from high-stimulation screens directly to a dark pillow. It’s like driving a car at 100 mph and slamming on the brakes. The engine is still hot.
Your brain needs a Cool Down Lap. It needs a signal that says, “The work day is done. The safety watch is over. You can stand down.”
Night-Shift is a digital sunset for your mind.
The Science: Cognitive Shuffling
One of the most effective ways to stop racing thoughts is a technique called Cognitive Shuffling (or Serial Diverse Imagining).
When you worry, your brain is in “focused mode” (Left Brain). To sleep, you need to enter “diffuse mode” (associative, dream-like thinking). Cognitive Shuffling forces the brain to jump between random, non-threatening images (e.g., “Baby,” “Triangle,” “Toast”). This mimics the micro-dreams that happen right before sleep, tricking the brain into thinking it’s already drifting off.
The Game: Night-Shift
- The Dump: First, the game asks you to “Dump” your worries. You type them into a box, and the game visually locks them in a “Vault” for tomorrow.
- The Shuffle: The game guides you through a visualization. “Visualize a balloon… now visualize a cat… now a mountain.”
- The Pace: The images change slowly, matching a slowing breath rate (4-7-8 breathing).
- The Copyright: Night-Shift © PsychKit.org combines journaling with biofeedback pacing to create a complete pre-sleep ritual.
👉 Start the Shift: Night-Shift
Actionable Advice
- The “Parking Lot”: Keep a notepad by your bed. If a worry pops up, write it down. Tell your brain: “It is parked. We will deal with it at 9 AM.”
- Temperature Drop: Your body needs to drop its core temperature to sleep. A hot shower before bed helps, because when you step out, the rapid cooling signals to your body that it’s night time.
Safety & Disclaimer
- This tool is for sleep hygiene.
- Blue Light: Use this tool with “Night Mode” (blue light filter) on your screen, or better yet, listen to the audio version without looking at the phone.
References
- Beaudoin, L. P. (2014). The possibility of super-somnolent mentation: A new technique for falling asleep.
- Harvey, A. G. (2002). A cognitive model of insomnia. Behaviour Research and Therapy.
- Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner.