Andrew Hubberman ToolKit for Sleep
From the Huberman Lab we see yet more proof, from all types of people ranging from doctor, to gurus, and even to this best wishing neuroscience influencer, that sleep is the #1 most important thing you can do for you health. We agree, sleep IS the #1 cure for many acute and choric conditions, and just to help you live a better and more energized and healthier life. Some points we have in addition to this article:
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Look into NuCalm as another app for better sleep and better naps.
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Regular sauna and red light use also improves sleep.
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The negative effects of isolated caffeine are much more stronger, avoid drinking isolated caffeine at all costs.
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The ideal nap time really varies on the person, sometimes sleeping for more than 20mins actually makes you more tired, so play around with the times and see what work for you.
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Try to avoid taking sleep supplements if you can, your body and mind get used to them and then it's hard to quit, even if they are naturally based. Magnesium is the safest of them all that are mentioned.
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Consistency and good lifestyles habits are indeed the key to achieving your goals, anyone can do good or bad for a few days, but for the rest of your life to have those habits you need, well that's a different story.
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Consistency of routine cannot be understated, and avoid screen and working time on screens (TV is okay to relax) 2 hours before bed.
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Do not work or do most anything else in the place where you sleep but sleep. When you body touches your bed it should know it's time for comfort, relaxation, maybe some fun and most importantly at the end of the day, to just sleep.
More info we have on sleep on our blogs: 1. Sleep your way to fat loss 2. Stress and the nervous system 3. Get fat, sick, tired, out of shape, and overweight, really fast (and how to also not to). 4. Nitric Oxide effects on sleep
Recently, I posted this to Twitter & Instagram:
Best nootropic: sleep
Best stress relief: sleep
Best trauma release: sleep
Best immune booster: sleep
Best hormone augmentation: sleep
Best emotional stabilizer: sleep
Sleep Tools: Ep. 2 Huberman Lab Podcast, HLP interview w/Matt Walker https://t.co/TphgkozQyg
— Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. (@hubermanlab) September 16, 2021
It ended up being shared more than any other post, which told me that people likely want tools for getting better at sleeping. Episode 2 of the Huberman Lab Podcast (Master Your Sleep) is all about that topic, but I wanted to provide a succinct list of the key things for sleep.
So here is my list for how to get better at sleeping:
1) View sunlight by going outside within 30-60 minutes of waking. Do that again in the late afternoon, prior to sunset. If you wake up before the sun is out and you want to be awake, turn on artificial lights and then go outside once the sun rises.
On bright cloudless days: view morning and afternoon sun for 10 min; cloudy days: 20 min; very overcast days 30-60 min. If you live someplace with very minimal light, consider an artificial daytime simulator source.
Don’t wear sunglasses for this practice if you safely can, but contact lenses and eyeglasses are fine.
No, you don’t have to look directly at the sun, and never look at ANY light so bright it is painful to view! That said, you can’t wear a brimmed hat, sunglasses and remain in the shade and expect to “wake up” your circadian clock.
2) Wake up at the same time each day and go to sleep when you first start to feel sleepy. Pushing through the sleepy late evening feeling and going to sleep too late (for you) is one reason people wake at 3 am and can’t fall back asleep.
3) Avoid caffeine within 8-10 hours of bedtime. Dr. Matt Walker (sleep expert from UC Berkeley) might even say 12-14 hours. I do fine with caffeine at 2 pm and I go to sleep at ~10-11 pm. Dr. Walker was on the Huberman Lab Podcast and we discussed this in detail.
4) If you have sleep disturbances, insomnia, or anxiety about sleep, try the research-supported protocols on the Reveri app (for iPhone). Do the Reveri sleep self-hypnosis 3x a week at any time of day. It’s only 10-15 min long and will help you rewire your nervous system to be able to relax faster.
5) Avoid viewing bright lights—especially bright overhead lights between 10 pm and 4 am. Here is a simple rule: only use as much artificial lighting as is necessary for you to remain and move about safely at night. Blue blockers can help a bit at night but still dim the lights. Viewing bright lights of all colors are a problem for your circadian system. Candlelight and moonlight are fine. (Shift workers should see the Huberman Lab Podcast on jetlag for offsetting shift work negative effects. Same for jetlagged travelers.)
6) Limit daytime naps to less than 90 min, or don’t nap at all. I love naps as do many of my colleagues. I tend to nap for 30 min most afternoons… maybe 45 min, but never longer.
7) If you wake up in the middle of the night (which, by the way, is normal to do once or so each night) but you can’t fall back asleep, consider doing an NSDR protocol when you wake up. Enter “NSDR” into YouTube and the top 3-4 options have different voices, durations for you to select from. Or simply do a “Yoga Nidra” protocol (enter “yoga nidra” to YouTube; 100s to select.)
8) You might consider taking (30-60 min before bed):
145mg Magnesium Threonate or 200mg Magnesium Bisglycinate
50mg Apigenin
100-400mg Theanine
(3-4 nights per week I also take 2g of Glycine and 100mg GABA.)
*I would start with one supplement (or none!) and then add one at a time as needed. Some people do not need any supplements, and some people like theanine but not magnesium, etc. so you have to determine what is best for you.
**Don’t take theanine if you have overly intense dreams, sleep-walk, or have night terrors.
***Also, some people (~5%), get an agitated stomach from magnesium supplementation, in which case, do not take it.
****[he has included an influencer product recommendation we have removed here]
9) Expect to feel really alert ~1 hour before your natural bedtime. This is a naturally occurring spike in wakefulness that sleep researchers have observed.
Don’t freak out if it happens. It will pass!
10) Keep the room you sleep in cool and dark and layer on blankets that you can remove.
Your body needs to drop in temperature by 1-3 degrees to fall and stay asleep effectively. Body temperature increases are one reason you wake up. Thus, keep your room cool and remove blankets as needed. If it’s too hot you would have to use a cooling device and that’s harder than simply tossing off blankets if you get too warm.
11) Drinking alcohol messes up your sleep. As do most sleep medications.
This was discussed on the Huberman Lab Podcast Episode with Dr. Matt Walker.
12) Kids (and indeed all of us) have changing sleep needs over time. Adjust accordingly.
We might be night owls at 15 but become “morning people” as we age or need 6 hours a night in summer and 7-8 in winter. It will vary.
That’s it for now. Again, sleep is THE foundation of our mental and physical health and performance in all endeavors. Yet no one is perfect about sleep. The occasional night out or missing sunlight viewing here and there is not a big deal, so don’t obsess about that. However, if any of us drift from these and the other behaviors for too long, we start to suffer. So whatever your life and goals and schedule, master your sleep. You’ll be so happy you did!
New episodes of The Huberman Lab Podcast are out each Monday on YouTube, Apple and Spotify. Please subscribe to those channels.
I post additional science and science-based tools on Instagram and Twitter.
Thank you for your interest in science!
Best wishes,
Andrew
Disclaimer: 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.
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