Comparison

mySleepButton vs Cognitive Shuffle

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

mySleepButton

This app uses a "cognitive shuffle" technique to help users fall asleep by distracting their minds with imagery. It offers guided meditations and can be used with audio devices for a screen-free experience.

Highlights
  • Cognitive shuffle technique
  • Guided imagery for sleep
  • Affective body scan meditation
  • Configurable meditation pack
  • Audio playback on external devices
  • Siri shortcuts
Read full description

mySleepButton® is a CogSci Apps® invention. Its purpose is to help you fall asleep with the "cognitive shuffle", as featured in the The New York Times, The Guardian, Forbes Magazine, Canadian Government’s Institute of Health Research, The BC Medical Journal online, Popular Science Magazine, Forbes Magazine ("disrupt all patterns and rest in blissful chaos"), LifeHacker ("surprisingly effective"), etc. It’s so easy: Just lie in bed, touch the “Put Me to Sleep” button, imagine the various descriptions it reads to you, and let yourself fall asleep… pleasantly. That is the Cognitive Shuffle! O, The Oprah magazine, calls mySleepButton “An easy little game to trick yourself to sleep.” The Guardian wrote: "My top recommendation remains the visualisation method known as the “cognitive shuffle”: download the MySleepButton app". Quartz says mySleepButton is “a drug-free sleep trick for your restless mind”. International Business Times of London says “mySleepButton App Hijacks Thoughts to Help Sleep”. Into mindfulness meditation? mySleepButton also contains a configurable "affective body scan" meditation pack. It taps into the brain's body maps. Still awake after the meditation? Instantly proceed to guided shuffled imagery. You can try mySleepButton for FREE! There's no subscription fee. Buy the pack(s) that you like, and shuffle your thoughts to sleep. The goal of mySleepButton is to keep your mind off your concerns while putting it in an imagery rich state conducive to sleep. mySleepButton can also be triggered with Air Pods and played on Apple's Home Pod (or other devices) if you don't want an iPhone or iPad in your bed room. It even has Siri shortcuts. So, why not enjoy a dreamy transition to sleep? “Shuffle Your Thoughts to Sleep” with mySleepButton.

About

Cognitive Shuffle

Features
Read full description

Can't fall asleep? Your mind won't stop racing? Drift uses the science-backed Cognitive Shuffle method to help you fall asleep faster — no meditation, no breathing exercises, just words. How it works: Simply tap Start, close your eyes, and listen. Drift whispers random, unconnected words to your mind — breaking the cycle of anxious thoughts and guiding your brain into sleep. Based on research by cognitive scientist Dr. Luc Beaudoin, the Cognitive Shuffle technique mimics the natural thought patterns of sleep onset, helping your brain transition from wakefulness to rest. ◆ Zero setup — open and sleep ◆ 8 languages — English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Turkish ◆ Alphabet mode — engage your mind gently ◆ Adjustable word speed — 4 to 15 seconds ◆ Auto sleep timer — 15, 30, or 60 minutes ◆ Fades out automatically when timer ends

Screenshots

mySleepButton2 screens
Cognitive Shuffle3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: mySleepButton at Free against Cognitive Shuffle's $1.99. mySleepButton also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Cognitive Shuffle's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

mySleepButton is free to download; Cognitive Shuffle costs $1.99 up front. mySleepButton sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Cognitive Shuffle asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

mySleepButton ships an update every 4 months, Cognitive Shuffle every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on August 5, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
mySleepButton versus Cognitive Shuffle: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermySleepButtonCognitive Shuffle
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.5 (209 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings209 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size161 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCogSci Apps Corp.Huseyin Levent Yasar

Bugs and requests

mySleepButton

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes after iOS updates
  • Purchased content not restoring properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More diverse content and voices
  • Randomized word/scene order
  • Support for additional languages
  • Apple Watch app

Cognitive Shuffle

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

mySleepButton

One-time13
  • Disable iAd$0.99
  • Album d'items simples$3.99
  • 単語パック$3.99
Show 10 more
  • 简单事物专辑$4.99
  • Simple-Things Pack$5.99
  • Drawing Pack2 variants$5.99
  • Scenes Pack$5.99
  • Album d'items à dessiner$5.99
  • Simple-Things Pack$6.99
  • Album d'items simples$6.99
  • Scenes Pack$8.99
  • Body Scan Pack$8.99
  • Kids Pack (4+)$8.99
None

Cognitive Shuffle

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is mySleepButton free?
mySleepButton is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cognitive Shuffle free?
Cognitive Shuffle costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do mySleepButton or Cognitive Shuffle have ads?
Neither mySleepButton nor Cognitive Shuffle shows ads.
Which is updated more often, mySleepButton or Cognitive Shuffle?
mySleepButton ships an update every 4 months, and Cognitive Shuffle every 8 days. Most recently, mySleepButton was updated on August 5, 2026 and Cognitive Shuffle on September 8, 2026.

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