Andrew Huberman’s Science-Based mostly Sleep Protocol: A Complete Information

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Sleep may simply be the final word life hack, and I’m not being dramatic right here.

Again in 2021, Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman posted a tweet that made hundreds of individuals rethink their relationship with sleep. He referred to as it “the most effective nootropic, stress reduction, trauma launch, immune booster, hormone augmenter, and emotional stabilizer.” Coming from a man who research brains for a residing, that caught my consideration.

The irony? Most of us scroll by means of our telephones till our eyes burn, then surprise why we really feel like rubbish each morning.

Over the previous 4 years, Huberman has quietly assembled what is perhaps probably the most sensible, science-backed sleep protocol on the market. No costly devices. No bizarre dietary supplements with unpronounceable names. Simply methods primarily based on how our our bodies truly work, from exactly timed daylight publicity to strategic carb timing at dinner.

His protocol has developed since 2021, incorporating stunning instruments like mouth-taping and refined complement suggestions primarily based on rising analysis. This information breaks down every thing in Huberman’s present sleep toolkit for 2025.

Honest warning: after studying how night mild messes along with your mind chemistry, you may develop into that one who dims all of the lights after sundown. Your folks may tease you, however you’ll be the one sleeping like a child.

The Core Rules of Huberman’s Sleep Protocol

Gentle Publicity: The Grasp Regulator

When you solely take one factor from Huberman’s whole protocol, make it this: get daylight in your eyes inside an hour of waking up.

I do know, I do know. It sounds too easy to really work. However right here’s the factor – that morning mild publicity does one thing profound to your mind. It triggers a cascade of hormonal occasions that primarily begins a 24-hour countdown to when your physique will launch melatonin later that night time. Miss this window persistently, and also you’re principally taking part in circadian rhythm roulette.

Huberman recommends no less than 10 minutes of out of doors mild publicity, although you’ll want extra on cloudy days (typically as much as Half-hour). And no, sitting by a window doesn’t rely. Even on an overcast day, outside mild is about 50 instances brighter than your kitchen, which is what your retinal ganglion cells must ship the “it’s daytime!” sign to your mind.

What if you happen to get up earlier than dawn? Activate vivid lights indoors first, then head exterior as soon as the solar comes up. Your mind wants that pure mild spectrum to correctly calibrate.

However morning mild is barely half the equation. Huberman found one thing fascinating about night mild publicity that the majority sleep specialists miss. Viewing daylight within the late afternoon or round sundown supplies a second anchor level on your circadian rhythm. Consider it as giving your mind a heads-up that nighttime is coming.

This doesn’t imply staring instantly on the solar (please don’t). Simply spend 5-10 minutes exterior when the solar is low on the horizon. Huberman explains that this sundown viewing truly helps defend your sleep from the factitious mild you’ll inevitably encounter later within the night. In a latest put up on X, Huberman mentions he makes use of this daylight remedy lamp on Amazon each time he can’t entry daylight because of wet days.

Now for the half which may make you rethink your nighttime Netflix behavior: keep away from vivid lights between 10 PM and 4 AM like your sleep is determined by it. As a result of it does.

Throughout this window, your eyes develop into insanely delicate to mild. Even a fast lavatory journey with the lights on can suppress melatonin and mess along with your dopamine for the following day. Huberman isn’t exaggerating when he says this could “eradicate melatonin” manufacturing.

The answer? Maintain lights as dim as attainable after 10 PM. Use low-positioned lamps with heat bulbs (assume candlelight vibes, not working room). When you completely must test your cellphone at 3 AM, squint such as you’re wanting on the solar. Higher but, don’t test it in any respect.

Constant Sleep Timing

Right here’s the place issues get fascinating. You understand how everybody says to maintain an everyday sleep schedule? Turns on the market’s extra nuance to it than simply selecting a bedtime.

Huberman’s strategy focuses first on waking up on the similar time each single day. Sure, even on weekends. Your wake time is definitely extra essential than your bedtime for setting your circadian rhythm. Decide a time and stick with it inside an hour, max.

However right here’s the counterintuitive half: don’t power your self to go to mattress at an arbitrary time if you happen to’re not sleepy. As an alternative, Huberman says to observe for that first wave of night sleepiness – you understand, once you begin nodding off on the sofa. That’s your physique’s pure sign. Miss it and push by means of, and also you may catch what he calls a “second wind” that’ll have you ever conscious at midnight.

There’s additionally this bizarre phenomenon that occurs about 60-90 minutes earlier than your pure bedtime. You may all of the sudden really feel extra alert, possibly even productive. Huberman calls this the “forbidden zone” for sleep, and it’s completely regular. Your physique temperature truly rises barely throughout this time.

Don’t panic if this occurs. Don’t begin a brand new venture. Simply stick with your wind-down routine realizing that the sleepiness will return. I’ve discovered to make use of this time for mild studying or mild stretching fairly than preventing it or giving in to the urge to reorganize my whole closet.

The hot button is recognizing these patterns in your individual physique and dealing with them, not in opposition to them. When you perceive your pure rhythms, sleep turns into much less of a battle and extra of a collaboration along with your biology.

Environmental Optimization

Temperature Management

Your bed room temperature is perhaps sabotaging your sleep, and also you in all probability don’t even notice it.

Huberman’s analysis exhibits that your core physique temperature must drop by 1-3 levels Fahrenheit to provoke sleep. Battle in opposition to this, and also you’ll toss and switch all night time. Work with it, and also you’ll drift off like a child.

The magic quantity? Maintain your bed room between 65-68°F (18-20°C). I assumed this was loopy chilly at first, however the distinction was rapid. When you’re somebody who runs sizzling at night time, lean towards 65. When you’re at all times freezing, 68 is perhaps your candy spot. I take advantage of a Chilipad on my mattress to take issues to the following degree after listening to Tim Ferriss point out it on his podcast.

Right here’s a trick that sounds backwards however works brilliantly: take a sizzling bathtub or bathe about 90 minutes earlier than mattress. The science is fascinating – the new water brings blood to your pores and skin’s floor, then once you get out, your physique quickly cools down. This mimics the pure temperature drops that alerts sleepiness.

Can’t management your thermostat? Stick a foot or hand out from underneath the covers. Your extremities are like little radiators that assist dump extra warmth. Some individuals swear by cooling mattress pads, however actually, a easy fan can work simply as effectively.

Creating the Cave-Like Setting

Huberman’s recommendation right here is blunt: make your bed room as darkish as humanly attainable.

I’m speaking as darkish as a cave. Blackout curtains aren’t only for shift employees anymore. Even small quantities of sunshine from streetlamps or that annoying LED in your cellphone charger can disrupt melatonin manufacturing. I began masking each tiny mild supply in my bed room, and sure, I felt ridiculous doing it. However the sleep high quality enchancment was value wanting like a vampire. Blackout curtains are literally extraordinarily inexpensive on Amazon.

If blackout curtains aren’t within the funds, a good sleep masks works too. Simply make certain it’s comfy sufficient that you just gained’t rip it off in the course of the night time. I personally use the Alaska Bear Silk Sleep Masks after listening to Dr. Peter Attia saying that he used it on one among his podcast episodes.

As for noise, Huberman hasn’t made it an enormous focus in his protocol, however the precept is clear: sudden sounds wake you up. A white noise machine or perhaps a fundamental fan can masks these random automotive honks or neighbor noises that fragment your sleep. The hot button is constant background noise fairly than excellent silence.

Respiration Optimization

That is the place Huberman’s protocol will get a bit unconventional. Mouth taping throughout sleep appears like one thing out of a bizarre wellness development however hear me out.

Many people unconsciously breathe by means of our mouths at night time, which may result in loud night breathing, dry mouth, and even gentle sleep apnea. By gently taping your mouth closed with medical tape (emphasis on medical – this isn’t duct tape), you prepare your self to breathe by means of your nostril.

The advantages of mouth taping are countless – higher oxygen saturation, much less loud night breathing, and deeper sleep. Begin by practising nasal respiratory in the course of the day, particularly throughout mild train. Then attempt the tape for brief intervals earlier than committing to a full night time.

If the thought freaks you out, that’s honest. However if you happen to get up with a desert-dry mouth or your associate complains about loud night breathing, it is perhaps definitely worth the awkwardness. Simply use porous surgical tape you can simply take away if wanted – this isn’t about sealing your mouth shut such as you’re in a hostage state of affairs. I personally use this model on Amazon.

One essential notice: in case you have severe sleep apnea or can’t breathe by means of your nostril because of congestion or structural points, skip this and see a physician as a substitute. Huberman emphasizes that addressing sleep apnea is essential for each sleep high quality and general well being.

The objective with all these environmental tweaks is to take away each attainable barrier between you and high quality sleep. Sure, you may really feel a bit additional optimizing each element, however once you begin waking up truly refreshed as a substitute of groggy, you’ll perceive why Huberman obsesses over these components.

Behavioral Methods

The Wind-Down Routine

Bear in mind how your mother and father used to offer you a shower and skim you a narrative earlier than mattress? Seems they have been onto one thing.

Huberman recommends a 30–60-minute wind-down interval that alerts to your mind that sleep is coming. This isn’t nearly rest – it’s about making a constant sequence of cues that set off your physique’s sleep response.

My routine seems one thing like this: dim the lights, do some mild stretching, possibly take heed to a Yoga Nidra session (Huberman swears by these). The hot button is retaining it constant and genuinely calming. Save the true crime podcasts for daytime.

What positively doesn’t belong in your wind-down? Work emails, intense train, or something that will get your coronary heart racing. I discovered this the onerous means after considering I may squeeze in “only one extra” work job earlier than mattress. Spoiler: it by no means ends effectively.

Managing Sleep Difficulties

Right here’s one thing that shocked me: if you happen to can’t go to sleep inside 20-Half-hour, Huberman says get away from bed.

This feels unsuitable once you’re exhausted, however mendacity there getting pissed off solely trains your mind to affiliate your mattress with wakefulness. As an alternative, go to a different room (hold lights dim), and do one thing boring. Learn a dense philosophy e book. Fold laundry. Hearken to that podcast about tax legislation.

If you really feel sleepy once more, head again to mattress. It’d take just a few rounds, however this prevents that terrible bed-anxiety spiral.

Huberman additionally shares a psychological trick for racing ideas: take a “psychological stroll” by means of a well-recognized place. Visualize your self strolling by means of your neighborhood or a favourite mountaineering path intimately. It’s like counting sheep however truly efficient. Your mind can’t concurrently fear about tomorrow’s presentation and navigate an imaginary stroll.

Digital Machine Administration

Let’s be trustworthy about our telephones. Everyone knows they’re sleep killers, however Huberman’s rationalization of why makes it unattainable to disregard.

It’s not simply blue mild (although that’s a part of it). The content material itself – whether or not it’s work stress or social media dopamine hits – retains your mind in high-alert mode. Even with night time mode on, scrolling TikTok at midnight is like making an attempt to sleep after ingesting espresso. Huberman makes use of Roka Blue Gentle Glasses at night time, however they’re fairly costly, so I simply acquired this inexpensive pair on Amazon, and so they work completely.

The worst offense? That middle-of-the-night cellphone test. You get up to pee, seize your cellphone “simply to test the time,” and all of the sudden it’s 45 minutes later and also you’re deep in a Wikipedia rabbit gap about medieval farming strategies. Your retinas are at peak sensitivity throughout nighttime hours, so even a quick flash of display mild can suppress melatonin for hours.

Diet and Substances

Strategic Consuming for Sleep

Right here’s the place Huberman’s recommendation may shock you: eat carbs at dinner.

Whereas he retains breakfast and lunch decrease in carbs for daytime alertness, night carbohydrates assist enhance serotonin and melatonin manufacturing. We’re speaking advanced carbs like candy potatoes, rice, or oats – not a pint of ice cream (sadly).

The timing issues too. End consuming 2-3 hours earlier than mattress to keep away from mendacity down with a full abdomen. However don’t go to mattress hungry both – starvation pangs at 2 AM are their very own particular torture.

Caffeine Technique

Huberman’s caffeine guidelines fully modified my espresso recreation:

First, wait 90-120 minutes after waking earlier than your first cup. This lets your pure cortisol do its job and prevents that afternoon crash.

Second, reduce your self off 8-10 hours earlier than bedtime. When you sleep at 11 PM, your final espresso must be at 1-3 PM. “However I can drink espresso at dinner and sleep high-quality!” you may say. Perhaps you may go to sleep, however analysis exhibits late caffeine nonetheless fragments your sleep high quality even if you happen to don’t notice it.

What to Keep away from

Alcohol just isn’t your good friend right here. That nightcap may make you’re feeling drowsy, however Huberman explains it’s sedation, not actual sleep. You’ll miss out on essential REM cycles and doubtless get up at 3 AM when the alcohol metabolizes.

As for melatonin dietary supplements? Huberman’s stance is obvious: throw them away. They may enable you go to sleep 3-9 minutes sooner however gained’t hold you asleep. Plus, these 5-10mg doses are means greater than what your physique naturally produces.

Train and Bodily Exercise

Morning train is sort of a double shot of espresso on your circadian rhythm – minus the jitters.

Huberman suggests even mild motion shortly after waking, mixed with that morning daylight, sends a robust “it’s daytime” sign to your mind. This builds up adenosine (sleepiness molecules) all through the day so that you’re truly drained at bedtime.

However timing is every thing. End intense exercises no less than 2-3 hours earlier than mattress. Late-night CrossFit may make you’re feeling completed, however your elevated physique temperature and adrenaline will hold you wired for hours.

A mild night stroll after dinner? Completely high-quality. Simply hold it leisurely.

The Huberman Sleep Complement Stack

Right here’s the place issues get particular. Huberman has examined numerous combos and landed on what he calls his sleep cocktail. Vital notice: he at all times emphasizes making an attempt behavioral adjustments first after which steadily introducing dietary supplements one by one.

Core Dietary supplements (Nightly Choices)

Magnesium L-Threonate (300-400mg) Huberman typically mentions Magtein (magnesium L-threonate) by identify, and continuously recommends Momentous dietary supplements, which he’s partnered with. This mineral calms the nervous system and helps you keep asleep. About 5% of individuals get abdomen upset, so begin low. “Magnesium is concerned in over 600 enzymatic reactions in your physique, so it’s concerned in plenty of various things, however what we’re serious about is studying extra about its position with reminiscence,” says Huberman. Huberman at the moment takes Momentous Magnesium L-Threonate.

Apigenin (50mg) This chamomile extract is one among Huberman’s favorites. Huberman usually makes use of Momentous model apigenin, although different high quality manufacturers can be found. It binds to the identical receptors as anti-anxiety meds however with out the dependency danger.

L-Theanine (100-400mg) Present in inexperienced tea, theanine promotes rest with out grogginess. Huberman mentions utilizing Momentous L-theanine in his stack. One warning: if you happen to’re liable to vivid goals or sleepwalking, skip this one. It could actually make goals intensely lifelike for some individuals.

Occasional Additions

Glycine (2g) and GABA (100mg) Huberman makes use of these solely 3-4 nights per week to keep away from tolerance. Glycine barely lowers physique temperature, whereas GABA supplies gentle sedation. He describes GABA as a delicate “hammer over the pinnacle” for notably troublesome nights. I take advantage of this GABA product by Double Wooden Dietary supplements.

Myo-Inositol (900mg) That is Huberman’s latest addition which he references on this podcast episode about OCD, and he makes use of it each third night time or so. It helps with sleep depth and reduces nighttime nervousness. The dose is essential – he makes use of 900mg, not the upper doses used for different situations. He takes Momentous Inositol.

Superior Sleep Instruments

Psychological Strategies

Huberman recommends the Reveri app for self-hypnosis, created by Stanford’s Dr. David Spiegel. Three classes per week can rewire your sleep nervousness over time.

For middle-of-night wakeups, NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Relaxation) is gold. Huberman has free NSDR recordings on YouTube. Even if you happen to don’t fall again asleep, you’ll get restorative advantages just like sleep.

The Evolution of Huberman’s Protocol

What I admire about Huberman is how his protocol has developed primarily based on proof:

2021: Established the core trinity of sunshine, temperature, and timing
2022: Added sundown viewing and mouth-taping
2023: Experimented with inositol, went viral on TikTok
2024: Simplified his complement routine
2025: Continues refining primarily based on new analysis

The inspiration hasn’t modified, however the particulars hold enhancing.

Implementation Information

Getting Began

Don’t attempt every thing directly. Right here’s a wise development:

Week 1: Focus solely on morning daylight and constant wake time
Week 2: Add night wind-down and bed room temperature
Week 3: Dial in your caffeine timing and take a look at carbs at dinner
Week 4: Contemplate dietary supplements if you happen to nonetheless need assistance

Frequent Errors to Keep away from

The largest mistake? Perfectionism. Lacking morning daylight as soon as gained’t wreck you. Having espresso at 4 PM often is ok. The objective is consistency, not perfection.

Additionally, keep in mind that dietary supplements are non-obligatory. Many individuals sleep nice with simply the behavioral instruments. I personally discovered that when I nailed the sunshine publicity and temperature, I hardly ever wanted the dietary supplements.

Conclusion

After following Huberman’s protocol for months, right here’s what struck me most: it’s not about following guidelines, it’s about understanding your biology.

When you grasp why morning mild issues, why your bed room must be chilly, and why that night scroll session destroys your sleep, the behaviors develop into apparent. You’re not preventing your physique anymore – you’re lastly working with it.

Begin with only one change. Perhaps it’s morning daylight. Perhaps it’s ditching the ten PM overhead lights. Decide one thing that feels doable and construct from there.

Your sleep will enhance. And when it does, every thing else in your life will get an improve too. That’s not simply Huberman speaking – that’s biology. And you’ll’t argue with biology.