I’ll be trustworthy, after I first heard about Andrew Huberman’s morning routine, I used to be skeptical. One other wellness guru telling me to get up at 5 AM? No thanks. However then I really appeared into who this man is, and my perspective utterly modified.
Dr. Andrew Huberman isn’t your typical morning routine influencer. He’s a legit Stanford neuroscientist who research how our brains work. And his Huberman Lab podcast? It’s like having an excellent good friend clarify advanced science in a method that truly is smart. Thousands and thousands of us tune in each week as a result of he breaks down the “why” behind every part.
What obtained me hooked was realizing his morning routine isn’t about being excellent or productive for productiveness’s sake. It’s about working together with your biology, not towards it. Huberman found out how you can hack our pure programs to really feel extra alert, targeted, and genuinely good all through the day.
On this information, I’m breaking down his total morning protocol, together with the science that makes it work and the precise merchandise he swears by. I’ve additionally included his latest suggestions from 2025 and a few modifications I’ve found work for various schedules and life.
The perfect half? You don’t have to undertake each single ingredient. Even implementing a number of of those practices could make a noticeable distinction in how you’re feeling. Belief me, when you perceive the “why” behind every step, you’ll really wish to attempt them.
So let’s get into it. Right here’s precisely how one of many world’s main neuroscientists begins his day, and how one can too.
Who Is Dr. Andrew Huberman?
In the event you haven’t heard of Andrew Huberman but, you’re lacking out on one of the trusted voices in well being and neuroscience right now. He’s a tenured professor at Stanford College of Medication, the place he runs his personal lab learning how the mind controls imaginative and prescient, concern, and arousal states.
However right here’s what makes him completely different from different scientists: Huberman has this unbelievable potential to translate advanced analysis into sensible recommendation we are able to really use. His Huberman Lab podcast has exploded in recognition as a result of he doesn’t simply inform you what to do. He explains how your mind and physique work, then offers you instruments to optimize them.
His specialty? Understanding how gentle, temperature, and timing have an effect on our nervous system. Seems, these are the precise elements that make or break a morning routine.
RELATED READING: Andrew Huberman’s Science-Backed Complement Stack
Why Morning Routines Matter
Huberman typically says one thing that caught with me: “The primary 90 minutes of your day set the template for every part that follows.” At first, this seemed like typical self-help fluff. Then he defined the science.
If you get up, your physique kicks off a cascade of hormonal and neurological processes. Cortisol spikes (which is definitely good within the morning), physique temperature rises, and your mind shifts from sleep mode to wake mode. The way you deal with these pure processes determines whether or not you’ll really feel energized or groggy, targeted or scattered.
Consider it like this: your morning is when your mind and physique are most programmable. The habits you have interaction in don’t simply have an effect on the subsequent hour; they create ripple results that final all day. Get morning gentle? You’ll sleep higher that night time. Transfer your physique early? Your focus stays sharper within the afternoon. Skip these steps? You’re preventing an uphill battle towards your individual biology.
As Huberman defined in his interview with Dr. Rhonda Patrick, these morning practices set off particular organic cascades. The cortisol spike from morning gentle publicity doesn’t simply wake you up. It begins your physique’s inside countdown to melatonin launch at night time.
“Getting morning daylight, motion, and mindfulness in place creates a domino impact for a targeted, productive day,” he shared. It’s not about being a morning individual. It’s about understanding your biology and utilizing it to your benefit.
Fast Overview: Huberman’s Morning Routine
Earlier than we dive deep, right here’s what Huberman’s full morning appears to be like like:
- Get up at 5:30-6:30 AM (no alarm wanted)
- Hydrate with 16-32 oz water plus electrolytes (Huberman makes use of LMNT electrolytes)
- Get 10-Half-hour of daylight inside the first hour
- Transfer your physique (stroll, stretch, or exercise)
- Follow meditation or Yoga Nidra (10-Half-hour)
- Chilly publicity (1-3 minute chilly bathe or plunge)
- Wait 90-120 minutes earlier than having caffeine
- First meal round midday (intermittent fasting)
Now let’s break down every ingredient and the science behind it.
Constant Early Wake-Up
Huberman wakes up someplace between 5:30 and 6:30 AM. Each. Single. Day. No alarm clock wanted. I do know what you’re considering as a result of I assumed the identical factor. How the hell does anybody try this naturally?
Right here’s the key: he goes to mattress on the identical time each night time too. Normally between 10 and 11 PM. Weekends included. Your physique really learns this sample and begins releasing cortisol about half an hour earlier than your common wake time. It turns into your private organic alarm clock.
“I sometimes get up round 6:00 AM, typically naturally, with out an alarm,” Huberman shared in his each day routines publication. The consistency issues greater than the precise time. Choose a schedule and keep it up.
However life occurs, proper? Generally you sleep like crap. Right here’s the place Huberman does one thing genius. As a substitute of oversleeping (which screws up your rhythm), he stays in mattress however does what he calls Non-Sleep Deep Relaxation. Principally, it’s a kind of meditation that lets your mind recuperate with out precise sleep.
“I’ll do 10 to Half-hour of Yoga Nidra, which is a type of NSDR,” he says. Huberman has his personal guided Yoga Nidra session on Youtube. I used to be skeptical till I attempted it after a horrible night time’s sleep. Felt method higher than if I’d simply dozed for an additional hour.
The analysis backs this up too. Holding constant sleep-wake instances predicts longevity higher than what number of hours you sleep. Your total hormonal system runs on this schedule. Mess with it, and every part out of your urge for food to your focus will get wonky.
RELATED READING: Harvard Scientist Dr. David Sinclair’s Longevity Complement Stack
Hydration Protocol
Very first thing Huberman does after waking? Kilos water. We’re speaking 16 to 32 ounces, which seems like so much till you understand you’ve simply gone 7-8 hours with none fluids. Your mind is actually dehydrated.
“I wish to hydrate very first thing within the morning. I attempt to drink 16 to 32 ounces of water,” he talked about in a GQ interview. However right here’s the kicker – plain water isn’t optimum. He provides salt. Yeah, salt.
Your nervous system runs on electrolytes. Sodium, potassium, magnesium – these minerals assist your neurons hearth correctly. After fasting all night time, you could replenish them. Huberman makes use of LMNT electrolyte combine, which has no sugar however excellent mineral ratios. A pinch of sea salt works too in the event you’re on a finances.
Some mornings, he’ll additionally combine in AG1 (Athletic Greens) as a part of his legendary each day complement protocol which you’ll examine right here. This inexperienced powder has been a part of his routine since 2012. “It’s the best method for me to get my base of necessary nutritional vitamins, minerals, and probiotics,” he explains. One scoop, add water, completed.
I’ve examined each approaches extensively. Plain water? You’ll pee it out in 20 minutes. Add electrolytes? You really really feel the psychological readability kick in. It’s wild how a lot correct hydration impacts your mind operate. Even delicate dehydration tanks your cognitive efficiency.
Professional tip from my very own expertise: prep your morning drink the night time earlier than. Water bottle, electrolytes, no matter – have it prepared. The much less friction between you and hydration, the extra probably you’ll really do it.
Morning Daylight Publicity
Okay, that is the large one. The behavior that in all probability has probably the most science behind it. Inside 30 to 60 minutes of waking, Huberman will get daylight in his eyes. Not by a window. Not carrying sun shades. Direct out of doors gentle hitting his retinas.
“Whether or not it’s sunny or cloudy, try to get shiny gentle in your eyes inside 30-60 minutes of waking,” he emphasizes always in his episode on utilizing gentle to optimize well being. The period relies on circumstances. Brilliant sunny day? 5-10 minutes does it. Cloudy? 10-20 minutes. Tremendous overcast? As much as half an hour.
Why does this matter a lot? Morning gentle triggers a large cascade of organic processes. Your cortisol spikes by about 50% (the nice sort that wakes you up). Extra importantly, it units a timer in your mind. Roughly 14-16 hours later, your pineal gland will dump melatonin that can assist you sleep.
I used to suppose my kitchen lights had been shiny sufficient. Nope. Huberman factors out that indoor lights are actually 100 instances dimmer than out of doors gentle on a cloudy day. Your mind wants that depth to correctly get up.
Since beginning this behavior, my sleep has remodeled. Used to take me an hour to go to sleep. Now? quarter-hour max. The morning gentle publicity mounted my nighttime sleep. It sounds backwards but it surely works.
Throughout winter or in the event you stay someplace perpetually darkish, a ten,000 lux SAD lamp can substitute. Huberman just lately talked about in a put up on X that he makes use of this model of lux lamp on Amazon. However pure gentle beats synthetic each time. Even on the gloomiest day, bundle up and get exterior. Your mind will thanks later.
RELATED READING: Every thing Andrew Huberman Taught Me About Dopamine
Mindfulness & NSDR Follow
After getting his gentle publicity, Huberman does one thing that shocked me: he meditates. However not in the way in which you’d count on. His go-to is Yoga Nidra, which he calls a “zero-cost neural reset.”
“In the event you discover you’re too agitated or sleepy within the morning, doing 10 minutes of NSDR or meditation can principally offer you a clear psychological slate,” he explains in his Grasp Your Sleep episode. NSDR means Non-Sleep Deep Relaxation. Fancy identify, easy apply.
You actually simply lie down and comply with a guided audio. That’s it. No sitting cross-legged, no emptying your thoughts, no bizarre respiration patterns. Simply mendacity there following directions. Huberman makes use of free YouTube movies. Takes 10-Half-hour relying on how a lot time you’ve.
His lab found this apply can increase dopamine by 65%. That’s enormous. Most individuals chase dopamine by espresso, social media, no matter. This provides you a pure hit that truly improves focus as a substitute of scattering it.
Some mornings he’ll do respiration workout routines as a substitute. His favourite is the “physiological sigh” – two fast inhales by your nostril, then an extended exhale by your mouth. His analysis confirmed simply 5 minutes of this considerably reduces stress and anxiousness.
I’ll admit, I resisted meditation for years. Felt too woo-woo. However Yoga Nidra is completely different. It’s extra like an influence nap to your mind. Now I’m hooked. On irritating mornings, these 10 minutes utterly change my psychological state.
Motion & Train
Right here’s the place Huberman goes laborious. After meditation, he workout routines for 45 to 60 minutes. However earlier than you suppose you could change into a gymnasium rat, hear me out. The specifics matter lower than the consistency.
“I alternate between resistance coaching and cardiovascular coaching,” he explains. Weights in the future, cardio the subsequent. Nothing loopy intense – he retains it at about 80-85% effort. Save the all-out efforts for later within the week when your physique’s absolutely awake.
The genius half? He all the time begins light. Throughout his daylight stroll, he’s already shifting. Then some gentle stretching or mobility work. By the point he hits the precise exercise, his physique’s primed and prepared. No surprising the system from mattress to bench press.
Morning train works as a result of it aligns together with your pure hormone rhythms. Testosterone and development hormone peak within the early hours. Your physique temperature is rising. Understanding throughout this window amplifies these pure processes.
On cardio days, he may leap rope, run, or cycle. Weight days comply with a fundamental push-pull-legs cut up. Nothing fancy. He retains his telephone in one other room and cranks music for focus. The exercise itself issues lower than doing it constantly.
Look, I get it. 45-60 minutes sounds daunting. However even 15-20 minutes of motion modifications every part. Can’t hit the gymnasium? Do body weight stuff in your front room. Go for a brisk stroll. Do some yoga. The purpose is shifting your physique whereas these morning hormones are surging.
Huberman normally works out fasted, claiming it improves fats burning and psychological readability. However in the event you want gasoline, eat one thing gentle. The motion issues greater than the fed/fasted debate.
RELATED READING: Andrew Huberman’s Full Health Protocol
Chilly Publicity
That is the place issues get spicy. After his exercise, when his physique’s good and heat, Huberman intentionally makes himself chilly. Actually chilly. We’re speaking 1-3 minutes of water under 60°F.
“I goal for water that’s uncomfortably chilly,” he says. Chilly bathe, chilly plunge, doesn’t matter. What issues is that gasp-inducing temperature that makes you query your life decisions.
Why torture your self like this? The dopamine increase is insane – 2.5 instances baseline ranges – in accordance with his publication on chilly publicity. And in contrast to the spike from medication or junk meals, this elevation lasts for hours with out a crash. Plus you get norepinephrine flooding your system, sharpening focus and temper.
However Huberman sees it as extra than simply mind chemical compounds. It’s psychological coaching. “Individuals use chilly publicity to shift their physique state and practice their psychological state to allow them to higher deal with stress in actual life.” Each chilly bathe is apply for dealing with discomfort calmly.
Begin small. Critically. Finish your regular bathe with 30 seconds of chilly. That’s it. Work up progressively. Deal with sluggish, managed respiration. Don’t tense up or hyperventilate. Huberman suggests “counting partitions” – trying round and counting objects to distract from the shock.
I began with simply splashing chilly water on my face. Now I do full chilly showers thrice per week. The vitality increase is plain. However extra importantly, I’ve seen I deal with each day stressors method higher. Visitors, work drama, no matter – all of it feels extra manageable after voluntarily freezing my ass off within the morning.
Fast security notice: skip this when you’ve got coronary heart points or different well being considerations. And by no means pressure it. The purpose is managed stress, not harmful shock.
Delayed Caffeine Consumption
Prepared for probably the most controversial a part of Huberman’s routine? He waits 90 to 120 minutes after waking earlier than touching caffeine. I do know. I KNOW. However persist with me right here.
“I delay my caffeine consumption to 90 minutes to 2 hours after I get up,” Huberman states. So if he’s up at 6, that first cup doesn’t occur till 7:30 or 8. This timing hack actually modified my life.
Right here’s why it really works. If you get up, you’ve nonetheless obtained adenosine (the sleepiness chemical) floating round. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors. Drink it too early, and also you’re simply masking the issue. Few hours later when the caffeine wears off? All that adenosine comes flooding again. Good day, 11 AM crash.
By ready, you let your physique filter out adenosine naturally. Cortisol does its factor. Then while you lastly have caffeine, it really works correctly. No crash, simply sustained vitality.
When he does caffeinate, Huberman mixes it up. Generally black espresso. Usually yerba mate, particularly Mateína, which he helped develop. “Yerba mate offers a smoother increase with out jitters,” he notes. The combo of caffeine plus different compounds offers cleaner vitality than espresso alone.
He’s militant concerning the 2 PM cutoff too. Caffeine has a 5-7 hour half-life. That 3 PM latte? Nonetheless messing together with your sleep at 10 PM. Not price it.
The primary week of delayed caffeine sucked. Not gonna lie. However as soon as I tailored? Recreation changer. Extra constant vitality, higher sleep, and weirdly, I want much less caffeine total. Use that 90-minute window for water, daylight, train. By the point you’re completed, you’ve earned that espresso.
The First Meal: Timing and What Huberman Eats
Huberman doesn’t eat breakfast. There, I mentioned it. His first meal normally lands round midday, typically later. That’s roughly 16 hours of fasting from dinner the night time earlier than.
“I discover I’ve way more vitality and focus after I don’t eat breakfast,” he revealed in his FoundMyFitness interview. This isn’t about shedding pounds or calorie restriction. It’s about psychological efficiency.
When he does break his quick, it’s nearly all the time protein heavy. We’re speaking 3-4 pasture-raised eggs. Or grass-fed beef. Wild-caught fish. High quality protein paired with greens and wholesome fat. Avocado is a staple. Minimal sugar, principally no refined carbs.
This method retains blood sugar rock regular. No post-meal crash. No afternoon mind fog. He saves most carbs for dinner, which really helps with sleep (carbs assist tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier).
However right here’s the factor – Huberman listens to his physique. Tremendous laborious exercise? He may eat earlier. Feeling genuinely hungry? He’ll have one thing. The intermittent fasting is a device, not a faith.
I’ve experimented with each consuming schedule conceivable. Some days I quick till midday, others I’m ravenous by 10. The important thing perception from Huberman’s method: while you do eat, make it depend. Protein and fats for sustained vitality. Save the carb-heavy stuff for later.
Additionally, fasting impacts individuals otherwise. Some of us thrive on it. Others really feel like rubbish. Girls particularly may expertise hormonal weirdness with prolonged fasting. Take a look at it your self, however don’t pressure it in case your physique’s screaming for meals.
Huberman’s Morning Toolkit
All through his routine, Huberman makes use of particular merchandise he’s examined extensively. Right here’s the important gear:
AG1 by Athletic Greens – His dietary insurance coverage coverage. One scoop accommodates 75+ nutritional vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. “I’ve been utilizing AG1 since 2012. It’s the best method for me to get my base of necessary nutritional vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.” Costly however complete.
LMNT Electrolytes – Zero sugar, excellent mineral ratios. Huberman provides a packet to his morning water. The sodium-potassium-magnesium combo optimizes hydration and neural operate. Cheaper various: pink salt and No-Salt (potassium chloride).
Mateína Yerba Mate – Huberman partnered to create this particular mix. Yerba mate offers caffeine plus theobromine and different compounds for sustained vitality with out jitters. His espresso various on many mornings.
10,000 Lux Gentle Remedy Lamp – For darkish winters when out of doors gentle isn’t accessible. Manufacturers like Verilux or Carex work effectively. Sit in entrance of it for 20-Half-hour whereas working. Inferior to actual daylight however higher than nothing.
Superior Stuff: Sometimes, Huberman takes Momentous L-Tyrosine (dopamine precursor) or Momentous Alpha-GPC (for focus) earlier than intense work classes. He particularly makes use of the Momentous model for these dietary supplements attributable to their high quality and purity requirements and even just lately partnered with them. Use code ‘brainflow’ for 15% off any product from the Momentous Huberman Assortment.
Night notice: Whereas not a part of his morning routine, Huberman wears blue-light blocking glasses after sundown. Protects melatonin manufacturing. However by no means put on these within the morning – you need most gentle publicity then.
These instruments assist the routine however aren’t obligatory. I began with simply including salt to my water and seen enhancements. Construct up progressively primarily based on what works to your physique and finances.
Pattern Morning Timeline
Right here’s precisely how Huberman’s morning flows:
6:00 AM – Wake naturally. Fast psychological test. Feeling rested? Rise up. Drained? 10-minute Yoga Nidra first.
6:15 AM – Chug 500ml water with LMNT and AG1.
6:20 AM – Exterior for daylight. Straightforward stroll across the block.
6:45 AM – Again inside for 10 minutes meditation or respiration.
7:00 AM – Exercise time. Right now’s leg day.
7:45 AM – Put up-workout chilly bathe. 2 minutes of questioning life decisions.
8:00 AM – Lastly, espresso. Or yerba mate if feeling fancy.
8:30 AM – Deep work begins. Mind is firing on all cylinders.
12:00 PM – First meal. Steak and salad right now.
This isn’t set in stone. Journey, unhealthy sleep, life stuff – all of it requires changes. The bottom line is sustaining the sequence when attainable: hydrate, gentle, transfer, chilly, caffeinate, work, eat.
You’ll be able to compress this too. Bought Half-hour? Hit the necessities: water, fast stroll in daylight, couple of minutes of respiration. Nonetheless method higher than scrolling your telephone in mattress for an hour.
Conclusion & Key Takeaways
After diving deep into Huberman’s routine, right here’s what actually issues: this isn’t about perfection or turning your self right into a productiveness robotic. It’s about understanding how your mind and physique really work, then utilizing that information to really feel higher.
Each piece of this routine targets particular organic programs. Gentle publicity units your circadian clock. Hydration fires up your neurons. Train releases feel-good chemical compounds. Chilly builds resilience. Delayed caffeine prevents crashes. Collectively, they create a basis that makes every part else simpler.
Testing these items on myself and seeing the outcomes has been eye-opening. Higher sleep, sharper focus, extra steady vitality all through the day. Not due to placebo or constructive considering, however due to measurable modifications in hormones and neurotransmitters.
Begin small. Choose one or two practices. Possibly simply morning daylight and correct hydration. Nail these for per week, then add one thing else. Even Huberman says he doesn’t hit each ingredient each day. Life occurs. The purpose is consistency with the core rules, not inflexible perfection.
Your morning units the trajectory to your total day. By front-loading these evidence-based practices, you’re not simply optimizing a routine. You’re constructing a sustainable basis for higher well being, sharper considering, and actually, simply feeling good in your individual pores and skin.
Give it per week. Monitor how you’re feeling. Alter what doesn’t work. Preserve what does. Your future self will thanks.
