Sleep Toolkit: Tools for Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing | Huberman Lab Podcast #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.

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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

The Huberman Lab Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

[Simmol]

My cheat sheet from this:

- Light
- Sunlight in first 30-60 minutes of waking
- Look at or near the sun as close as it doesn’t hurt
- If it’s sunny this could be 5 minutes. If overcast 10. If heavy cloud 30.
- Need to be outside ideally, not through a window
- If no light available, selfie ring lights are a decent substitute
- It’s a cumulative effect, so if you don’t get enough one day make up for it the next day.
- Aim for at least 80% of days
- Sunlight in eyes when setting.
- This helps signal to your body that it’s the end of the day.
- Also protects somewhat against the negative effects of artificial light before bed.
- When sun is down
- Do not use bright artificial lights of any colour
- Put lights as low to ground as possible
- Use as little light as possible (moon or candle light best if possible)

- Exercise
- In the first hour after waking increases body temperature helping you wake up and set good sleep cycle
- Later in the day will make you fall asleep later.

- Shower
- To increase you core body temperature in the first hour of waking have 1-3 minute cold shower.
- A warm shower or bath for less than 20 minutes will help cool core body temperature.
- Can be used post exercise late in the day to try to negate negative effects of late exercise on sleep.

- Drugs
-Caffeine
- At least 90-120 minutes after waking. This avoid the afternoon crash.
- Then no caffeine 8-10 hours before sleep.
- Alcohol and THC
- Negatively affect sleep quality even if it feels like you get to sleep easier.

- Temperature
- Cool sleep environment about 3 degrees cooler than rest of the environment.
- If you have a cool sleeping environment you can sleep under a blanket and your extremities will naturally stick out of covers and regular your temperature avoiding wake-ups.
- Can be used especially post late evening exercise to help negate negative effects on sleep.

- Catch up sleep
- NSDR deep rest technique.
- Nap at most 90 minutes and not close to bed time
- Do not sleep in past normal waking time more than 1 hour even if very minimal sleep
- Strictly do not have caffeine first 90 minutes after waking, this will disrupt future catch up sleep.

- Having to do things at night like feed baby
- Use dim red light if needed.
- Do not have caffeine, view bright lights or exercise during your normal sleep times

- Other
- Be a nose breather.
- If needed, tape your mouth shut while you sleep (if you don’t have severe sleep apnoea
- You can train more airflow through your nose by doing cardiovascular exercise with your mouth closed. Again, tape up your mouth if needed.
- Elevate the feet of your mattress 3-5 degrees to promote venous return. Not in pregnancy or vascular issues.

[jpdbarranquillero]

I feel like Andrew is just telling us to stop being lazy, get up early and go outside and work out, but in a nice and science based way. I love it.

[davidkopatz]

I've applied early morning sun, no caffine after 3pm and no blue light or screen time 90 minutes before bed and I've never slept better! Thanks for the information!

[omarhussam]

Did anyone notice how Huberman's delivery is artfully consistent?

-Simple terms
-efficient communication (E.g. use of the word zero-cost to send the point)
-Amazingly repeatitive in nature to the point that I memorized all the key takeaways

- Most importantly, always reminds you that we are humans, saying "most nights" and gives you ways to deal with everyday life

Not judgy, doesn't tell anyone what should or should not be done. He's just there reporting "quality peer reviewed papers"


This content is absolutely high-quality!

[amateurhour]

Honey the neighbor is outside again with his mouth taped shut staring at the sun

[penmaenmawrdefiant]

Andrew Huberman: The best thing about Mondays. ❤️

[karinkirmjoe]

As a mom (newborn and 2 yo) who's sleep is interrupted and scarce because of the children - I would love an episode that would cover children's sleep and how help them during different ages. Children's sleep is one of those topics where there's a lot of "experts" out there and would be great to get a overview of what the science says.

[Larchcone]

How incredibly lucky we are to have access to this type of high quality information, delivered by an intelligent, well-spoken and kind-hearted man. This content is truly revolutionary.

[LouStoriale]

The more I experience life, the more I appreciate an 8 hour sleep. It runs everything - Testosterone... You want to be a man, sleep, you want to be great with your kids, sleep. You want to lift more, sleep. You want to perform better at your job, sleep. You want to live a great life, sleep. No one every said, "Man I got such great sleep, I'm going to have a terrible day".... ever.

[davidmarquez]

I was completely sedentary in the morning due to working from home in the computer and not having a morning exercise routine. I started getting sunlight early morning and it did not do much. When I started walking/jogging 10 to 15 minutes early morning (sun and exercise together) that improved my sleep drastically!

[susanahlstrom]

Thank you for making science-based health information available to everyone. I am a person who does so much better with knowing the why something is the right thing to do. For people like me your podcasts are a breakthrough to enabling change. Thank you.

[GoByFrank]

Absolutely no joke - I've been wrestling with insomnia for the past few weeks, struggling to drift off and stay asleep. My bedtime used to be around 11, but I'd often toss and turn until 1am or later, only to wake up at 4am, or sometimes even earlier, like 3.30
Then, I discover this video. However, even though I gave everything he suggested a shot (except for the supplements), and I did feel less stress and anxiety, my sleep problem remained unchanged - hard to fall and stay asleep

Then, I decided to give 200mg of Theanine and 100mg of P5P a try, popping it 30m before bed. And let me tell you, the last three nights have been pure bliss. I went to bed at 10.40, knocked out before Andrew' 10mins NSDR finished, and stayed like a log until 6 (when I alarm go off for the morning gym session)

Should I declare Andrew my sleep savior?

[RizwanRezaI]

Can’t wait for this kind of podcast to become a series: Workout Toolkit, Longevity Toolkit, etc.

Thank you Dr. Huberman! You’ve changed my life and countless other lives for the better. 🙏🏽

[GrimFinch]

The circadian rhythm reset methodology works like a charm. This comment is made after a year of implementing the routine, and is the fallback position whenever the sleep routine gets out of shape due to random external factors that impact your daily life (travel, work commitments, pain from injury etc). I can't recommend listening to this podcast highly enough.

In regards to the above mentioned exception periods, you can have the confidence that you can get back on track (and quickly), to resolve the short term issues that are bound to arise from time to time.

Thank you Dr Huberman.

[_aryanraii]

- get sunlight in your eyes as soon as possible after waking up (within 60 minutes of waking) for 5 minutes on a clear day, 10 on a cloudy day and 20-30 on a really cloudy day (increases cortisol early in the day)
- look towards the sun, doesn’t have to be direct
- it is the most powerful stimulus for wakefulness throughout the day and the ability to fall and stay asleep at night
- take cold showers to increase your core body temperature
- cold showers cause the release of adrenaline and dopamine which help wake you up
- exercise in the morning after waking up (increases core body temperature)
- you can consume caffeine 90-120 minutes after waking up (it limits adenosine, hence limiting sleepiness), best to not drink anymore after early afternoon
- eat breakfast in the early morning hours to be more alert in the morning
- eat smaller meals so you’re not full as you will be sleepy after having a big meal
- get sunlight in your eyes again in the late afternoon, when the sun is setting (it’s a second reference point for your circadian rhythm, low solar angle, different wavelength of light as compared to in the morning)
- avoid/dim artificial lights in the evening
- take warm showers at night to lower your core body temperature
- sleep in cooler environments
- don’t sleep in for longer than an hour beyond your normal wake-up time

[mirceabranda]

Just wanted to thank you and your team. For me it is amazing that somebody is trying to help at this level. For one suffering from tinnitus I would really like a podcast about that and one about trauma, maybe with Gabor Mate. I wish you all the best, you all are fabulous.

[janiebratt]

Thank you Andrew, for taking us along on your journey of learning.

[tiagobparaujo]

Thank you Dr Huberman. You are amazing sharing those knowledge and very good and quality science based information with us. I am 100 % grateful for Having met you here on YouTube on this podcast. For the universe, God, google had advertised your channel for me. I suffer from bad sleep, it is hard for me getting to sleep always and always change night for day and vice versa, sleep at day and ve awake at night and I think that is killing me bit a bit. I want to apply all these methods and change my life . I really need it.

[baterickpatman]

I'm 39 and insomnia, morning sadness / languidity, and just feeling ok after a night of sleep have always been a source of tremendous distress, depression, lack of focus, etc.. I deeply appreciate your knowledge and wisdom, and can't express my gratitude enough for this podcast. It's a lot of info, so I've got work to do. Thank you, doctor, you're a saint! :)

[CesarDominguez_]

Another productive morning just by watching and listening to you. Thanks a lot for changing my life and my family's life, Andrew.