Why You Shouldn’t Worry about Possible Associations Between Alzheimer’s and Insomnia

Scientific American recently published an article called Why Sleep Disorders May Precede Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

The problem with this kind of clickbait is that the headline, and the article itself, might make people stress out even more about their sleep. And as I’ve discussed before on this blog, one of the major factors that contributes to insomnia is worrying that one will not be able to fall sleep, or get back to sleep.

One of the purposes of the cognitive shuffle is to help people get their minds off their concerns, including their concerns about sleep.

mySleepButton, however, is not just designed to help you keep your thoughts off your concerns while in bed.

1. The cognitive shuffle is also meant to put you in a dreamy state that in some respects imitates sleep onset. Several users have commented on nodding off during because of the imagery. But we can’t rely on user reports alone. There are several studies on the original form of imagery distraction. The cognitive shuffle is meant to be an improvement, addressing the limitations noted by researchers in relation to traditional (monotonous) imagery distraction. Ours is the first theory to propose a pro-somnolement effect to imagery itself. It will take more research to dig deeply into the cognitive mechanisms of sleep onset. For instance, we need to trace neural connections between imagery and lower levels of the sleep-onset control system. This calls for new, highly innovative experimental techniques.
2. mySleepButton also has the world’s first personalized mindfulness meditation pack. It is designed to help users users accept their feelings. Concerns are less disruptive when we are aware of and accept the feelings that they generate.

One way to use mySleepButton when you are very stressed is to start with the meditation and then, if you’re still awake, move onto the cognitive shuffle, which you can do without even looking at the device.

So, instead of making matters worse for yourself by focusing on all the problems that sleep deprivation can cause, use techniques with which you can (a) accept your feelings and (b) keep your mind on more helpful objects.

We have provided many evidence-based sleep tips, some of which deal directly with worrying and focusing too much on sleep.