The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.
Sleep Toolkit: Tools for Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing | Episode 84
In this episode, I describe a comprehensive toolkit consisting of behavioral and supplement-based tools that you can customize to enhance the quality, duration and impact of your sleep. This has an enormous positive impact on your overall health and daytime functioning, brain, hormones and immune system. I teach you how to effectively harness light (and darkness), temperature, food, exercise, caffeine, supplements, and digital devices in order to fall asleep faster, stay deeply asleep longer and overall, and achieve better quality sleep. I also describe how these tools can be modified to recover quickly from a poor night’s sleep, jet lag or bouts of shift work. Given that sleep is the foundation of all mental health, physical health and performance, this episode should benefit everyone as it provides an essential toolkit of science-supported, low- to zero-cost strategies that can be tailored to optimize your sleep routine.
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman
InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman
Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/huberman
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman
Supplements from Momentous
https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman
For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com
Timestamps
(00:00:00) Tools to Optimize Sleep
(00:03:02) Momentous Supplements
(00:04:16) InsideTracker, Eight Sleep, LMNT
(00:08:24) Factors to Control Circadian Rhythm & Sleep
(00:15:10) Morning Tool: Morning Sunlight Viewing, Cortisol
(00:20:44) Morning Sunlight: Circadian Rhythm, Artificial Lights, Cloudy Days
(00:26:18) Evaluating Light in Environment, Compensating for Missed Morning Light
(00:29:26) AG1 (Athletic Greens)
(00:30:46) Morning Tools: Temperature & Deliberate Cold Exposure, Exercise
(00:34:58) Timing Caffeine, “Afternoon Crash,” Exercise
(00:40:08) Timing Eating, Alertness & Circadian Rhythm
(00:45:20) 3 Daily Critical Periods
(00:46:49) Afternoons: Naps, Deep Relaxation (NSDR, Self-Hypnosis), Exercise & Body Temperature, Caffeine
(00:51:59) Afternoon Tools: Viewing Sunlight in Late Afternoon, Evening Light
(00:56:45) Evening/Night Tools: Overhead Artificial Lights, Light Sensitivity
(01:04:40) Evening Tools: Hot Bath/Sauna, Temperature & Sleeping Environment
(01:09:40) Alcohol, THC & Reduced Sleep Quality; CBD, Anxiety & Falling Asleep
(01:11:45) Sleep Supplements: Magnesium Threonate, Apigenin & Theanine
(01:16:34) Melatonin Supplementation (Caution)
(01:17:44) Additional Sleep Supplements: GABA, Glycine, Myo-Inositol & Anxiety
(01:20:08) Falling Back Asleep: Reveri App, NSDR, Yoga Nidra
(01:22:55) Staying Asleep: Eye Masks, Ear Plugs, Elevating Feet
(01:24:58) Tool: Sleep Apnea & Nasal Breathing
(01:28:20) Sleep Schedule Consistency, Weekends, Compensatory Sleep & Caffeine
(01:31:14) Tools: Temperature Minimum & Jet Lag, Shift Work & Red Lights
(01:37:38) Behavioral Tools for 3 Daily Critical Periods
(01:39:26) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Huberman Lab Clips, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter
Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac