Guide · 4 minute read
A free mySleepButton alternative — in your browser, no app
If you've read about the cognitive shuffle, you've probably run into mySleepButton — the app that made the technique famous. If you'd rather not install an app, here's the honest picture of how Sleep Shuffle compares.
What mySleepButton is
mySleepButton is the original cognitive-shuffle app, built by the cognitive scientist who developed the technique, Luc Beaudoin. It guides you through serial diverse imagining — picturing a stream of random, unrelated items — and it's a polished, well-made app with its own voice prompts and themed "decks." It deserves credit as the thing that brought this technique to a wide audience.
Why people look for an alternative
Usually one of three reasons: they don't want to install an app for something they'll use half-asleep; they hit a paywall or subscription; or they just want to try the technique right now without creating an account. The cognitive shuffle itself is a free, public idea — so there's no reason the simplest version of it should cost anything or live behind a download.
How Sleep Shuffle compares
Sleep Shuffle does the same core thing — a stream of random, neutral words, one every few seconds, with an optional spoken voice so you can keep your eyes closed — but it runs entirely in your browser. No app, no account, no payment; open a tab and start, and it works offline once loaded.
| mySleepButton | Sleep Shuffle | |
|---|---|---|
| Technique | Cognitive shuffle (the original) | Cognitive shuffle |
| Install | App (iOS / Android) | None — runs in the browser |
| Account | Required | None |
| Cost | Free tier + paid features | Free |
| Spoken voice | Yes (recorded prompts, decks) | Yes (your device's voice) |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes (after first load) |
To be fair to mySleepButton: its recorded voice prompts and structured decks are more produced than our plain spoken words, and some people prefer that. If you want the most polished, guided experience, the app is worth the download. If you want the technique right now, free, with nothing to install — that's what we built.
Try it now
Open Sleep Shuffle, turn on the voice if you'd like, and start. New to the technique? Read the science of the cognitive shuffle first.