Unrelated words, for nights when thinking will not stop.
Kotonemu reads out words that have nothing to do with each other, one at a time, in a gentle voice. Apple. Umbrella. Lighthouse. While you picture them, your brain cannot keep a chain of reasoning going.
Get it on the App Store- Requires
- iPhone · iOS 17 or later
- Price
- Free to download, with in-app purchases
- Size
- About 40 MB
- Languages
- Japanese · English · Simplified Chinese · Traditional Chinese
- Network
- Never used — works in airplane mode
- Account
- None required
The voice
A real recording. All 600 words are read by a voice actor — nothing is synthesised. The words are Japanese; the app’s interface is in your language. This is the voice included in the app, not a separately sold voice pack. (about 50 seconds)
Why words
When you cannot sleep, your head is still building arguments: tomorrow, earlier today, the thing you said. As long as that reasoning holds together, the brain reads it as a reason to stay awake.
Picturing unrelated words one after another stops that chain from forming. This app is a direct implementation of the method known as the cognitive shuffle. It is a tool to help sleep arrive — not a treatment.
How it is built
A different order every night
600 words, chosen so that related ones never follow each other. No two from the same category, and no two starting with the same sound. It never repeats yesterday, and you will not learn the sequence.
It fades as it goes
Volume, the gap between words and the reading speed all ease off over the session — so it keeps reaching you if you are still awake, without waking you once you are not.
It stays out of the way
No ads. No network, so it works in airplane mode. The screen dims by itself, and you can hide the words entirely. Rain or ocean can play underneath.
Pricing
- All 600 words
- 10, 15 and 30 minute sessions
- Background sounds, the intro and every setting
- 60 minute, 90 minute and unlimited sessions
- Seven days to try it
- Bought once, kept for good. No subscription.
Voices are sold separately and are not part of All Night. Please check the App Store for prices.
This app is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose or treat insomnia. If sleeplessness persists, please consult a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there an app for the cognitive shuffle sleep method?
- Yes — Kotonemu is an iPhone app that implements the cognitive shuffle directly. It picks unrelated words from a library of 600 in a different order every night, and a voice actor’s recording reads them out one at a time. Nothing is synthesised.
- Is Kotonemu a subscription?
- No. Kotonemu is free to download and has no subscription. All 600 words and the 10, 15 and 30 minute sessions stay free; the 60 minute, 90 minute and unlimited sessions are unlocked with All Night, a one-time purchase. You can try every length for seven days, and nothing is charged automatically when the trial ends. Voice packs are sold separately.
- Does Kotonemu work offline? Is my data sent anywhere?
- Yes, it works offline. Kotonemu never uses the network and runs in airplane mode. No account is required, and no information about you is collected or transmitted.
- Which devices does Kotonemu support?
- Kotonemu is an iPhone app and requires iOS 17 or later.
- Are the words read in English?
- No. The 600 words Kotonemu reads are all Japanese. The app’s interface is available in Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
- Can Kotonemu treat insomnia?
- No. Kotonemu is a tool to help sleep arrive. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose or treat insomnia. If sleeplessness persists, please consult a doctor.