Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Optimal Morning Routine
This is the simplest, yet most potent morning routine I have ever discovered
Dr. Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist, professor, and researcher at Stanford University.
Dr. Huberman is known for his research on the neural basis of vision and the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle, as well as the use of optogenetics to study neural circuits. He is also known for his research in the field of neuroscience related to anxiety and stress.
Dr. Huberman has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has received several awards and honors for his work.
The Optimal Morning Routine Starts The Night Before!
Dr. Huberman emphasizes the importance of sleep for the body to repair and rejuvenate itself and how a lack of sleep can lead to a variety of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. He also regularly talks about how the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, plays a key role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and how disruptions to this cycle can lead to sleep disorders which may in turn lead to the previously mentioned health problems.
Dr. Huberman via his podcast and other online appearances highlights the importance of the timing of sleep and says that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can improve sleep quality. He also frequently discusses the role of light exposure in regulating the circadian rhythm and how exposure to blue light, especially before bedtime, can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle. Dr. Huberman’s advice is to avoid screens before bedtime or as an alternative says that using blue-light glasses to reduce the impact of blue light on sleep is another option.
Dr. Huberman also talks about the importance of creating a sleep-conducive environment, by keeping the bedroom dark, cool, and quiet and also recommends not eating heavy meals or consuming caffeine close to bedtime. He also suggests using earplugs, an eye mask, and a white noise machine to create a dark, quiet, and cool environment which are all proven to aid sleep.
Additionally, Dr. Huberman mentions how sleep can also be affected by stress and anxiety and how relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can be beneficial in promoting better sleep.
Dr. Huberman emphasizes “you should try to get good quality sleep 80% of the time”.
Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Optimal Morning Routine:
The #1 Practice
Get natural light in your eyes within one hour of waking up.
If you wake up before the sun is up, turn on a bunch of lights and then get natural light from the sun as soon as it rises.
Don’t be concerned about dense cloud cover. Dr. Huberman says that there are still more photons of light energy coming through the cloud cover than there are coming from artificial light sources.
Aim for 5–10 minutes without sunglasses outside in the morning.
Don’t stare directly into or at the sun for obvious reasons, but just gaze across the horizon or up at the clouds if there is cloud cover.
That is it.
Simple yet powerful.
Here is why;
Why Is Morning Sunlight Beneficial?
Morning sunlight taken into the eyes is beneficial because it helps to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is an internal 24-hour “clock” that helps to regulate various physiological processes, including the sleep-wake cycle.
Exposure to natural light, particularly in the morning, helps to reset this circadian rhythm and promotes wakefulness during the day and sleep at night.
Sunlight is especially rich in blue light, which is known to suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate sleep. By increasing exposure to blue light in the morning, you can help to shift your circadian rhythm so that you feel more alert and awake during the day, and more sleepy at night.
Morning sunlight also helps to regulate the production of other hormones, such as cortisol, which is involved in the body’s stress response along with a wide range of other bodily functions.
Cortisol levels are highest in the morning through a process referred to as the ‘cortisol pulse’, and exposure to sunlight in the morning can help to regulate and anchor the production of this hormone and re-calibrate the pulse so that it activates first thing in the morning.
We’ve all heard of dopamine before and sunlight is also proven to affect the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in regulating mood, motivation, drive, and reward.
Sunlight exposure in the morning can increase the levels of dopamine in the brain. This is thought to occur through the action of light on the pineal gland, which produces the hormone melatonin at night and regulates the body’s circadian rhythm. When light hits the retina, it sends a signal to the pineal gland to stop the production of melatonin and start the production of other neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
This is why sunlight exposure in the morning has been found to be effective in treating conditions such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is characterized by low mood and lack of energy during the winter months when there is less natural sunlight.
Additionally, morning sunlight exposure is also beneficial for overall health by providing the body with essential vitamin D.
A personal anecdote to finish on:
I have been following this advice for approximately 6 weeks now and I feel great. I wake up, go to the bathroom, and then either make a coffee or go straight outside.
It’s easy.
I will either sit, stand, stretch or go for a short walk outside in the natural light and I try as often as possible to look up into the cloud cover or around the sun and into the horizon.
This process has become a daily ritual for me and it’s very easy to do. Of all the habits, routines, and practices I have either set or tried to set for myself over the years, this one is by far the easiest. Personally, I have no excuse not to do it.
The feeling I get is a natural yet amazing one. I feel so awake and it’s crazy how driven I feel so early in the morning, as compared to my previous morning process of waking up, laying in bed for as long as possible, and staring at my phone.
I also noticed very quickly how tired I was becoming at night time. For most of my adult life, I have been a night owl going to bed most nights between 11 pm — 2 am.
Since starting this morning routine I am in bed most nights between 9:30 pm — 11:30 pm.
Try it and tell me what you think in the comments below.
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