The guest
Andrew Huberman: Professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast. This is a solo 'office hours' toolkit episode with no outside guest.
What this episode covers
In this solo 'office hours' episode, Andrew Huberman organizes science-based protocols into the structure of a single 24-hour day. He walks through morning routines (sunlight, walking for optic flow, hydration, delayed caffeine, fasting), optimizing focused work in 90-minute blocks timed to the body's temperature minimum, exercise structure, meal timing and composition for alertness versus sleep, and non-sleep deep rest including hypnosis. He closes with detailed sleep protocols covering temperature, light timing, and supplements. Throughout he ties each behavior to peer-reviewed literature and explains the underlying neuroscience.
Recommended on this episode
ProductRecommended
930-lux LightPad
Artograph
“I instead use”
“I instead use, I have a pad that's a 930-lux LightPad. I think it was designed for drawing.”— Andrew Huberman
ProductRecommended
Athletic Greens (AG1)
Athletic Greens
“I also drink my athletic greens”
“I also drink my athletic greens, which is compatible at least for me with fasting.”— Andrew Huberman
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Anna Park yerba mate
Anna Park
“for me, that's the best-tasting yerba mate”
“there's a particular brand that I just found on the internet called Anna Park... for me, that's the best-tasting yerba mate.”— Andrew Huberman
ProductRecommended
Freedom (internet blocking app)
Freedom
“I use a program called Freedom”
“I use a program called Freedom. It shuts me out of the internet completely.”— Andrew Huberman
BookRecommendedISBN verified
The Circadian Code
Satchin Panda
“He wrote a wonderful book”
“He wrote a wonderful book called "The Circadian Code." He runs a serious biology laboratory focusing on metabolism, circadian rhythms”— Andrew Huberman
ProductRecommended
LMNT electrolyte drink
LMNT
“these days I'm fond of taking what's called LMNT”
“these days I'm fond of taking what's called "LMNT."... LMNT is a product that essentially contains electrolytes: sodium, potassium, as well as magnesium malate”— Andrew Huberman
ProductRecommended
Reveri (hypnosis app)
Reveri (David Spiegel)
“I do believe that is the best tool that one can access at this point in time”
“I do believe that is the best tool that one can access at this point in time.”— Andrew Huberman
BookRecommendedISBN verified
Why We Sleep
Matthew Walker
“He wrote this wonderful book”
“Matt Walker out at Berkeley whose name I'm sure most of you are familiar with. He wrote this wonderful book, "Why We Sleep."”— Andrew Huberman
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
ProductReferenced
Alpha-GPC
“300 milligrams of alpha-GPC has been shown to increase physical performance, but also cognitive performance.”— Andrew Huberman
ProductReferenced
Tongkat ali
“400 milligrams per day of something called "tongkat ali," which is a form of ginseng, can actually help increase levels of free testosterone.”— Andrew Huberman
ProductReferenced
Fadogia agrestis
“Fadogia agrestis is actually an herb that increases the levels of what's called "luteinizing hormone."”— Andrew Huberman
MediaReferenced
Netflix
Netflix
“For those of you that like to stay up late on the tablet or computer or watching Netflix, getting a little bit of afternoon light in your eyes”— Andrew Huberman
ProductReferenced
Magnesium threonate
“taking 300 to 400 milligrams of magnesium bisglycinate or magnesium threonate... many people find that doing that 30 to 60 minutes before sleep can aid them in falling asleep”— Andrew Huberman
ProductReferenced
Apigenin
“50 milligrams of apigenin taken 30 minutes before sleep can act as another way to shut off the forebrain and reduce rumination”— Andrew Huberman
ProductReferenced
Theanine (L-theanine)
“the third compound is theanine... Theanine is a compound that can also increase GABA, but also increases activation of something called "chloride channels."”— Andrew Huberman
Big reveals from this episode
- This is an 'office hours' solo episode held after 27 prior episodes, structuring all protocols around the unit of a single day.
- Huberman deliberately delays caffeine 90-120 minutes after waking to avoid the afternoon adenosine crash.
- He argues the whole 'what breaks a fast' debate is silly because it depends entirely on individual insulin sensitivity and glycogen state.
- Your temperature minimum (about 2 hours before average wake time) predicts that your best focused work falls 4-6 hours after it.
- Of all NSDR protocols, hypnosis is uniquely effective because it is goal-directed and boosts relaxation, focus, and self-awareness simultaneously.
- Huberman is not a fan of melatonin supplements, citing too-high doses and effects on sex steroid hormones and puberty.
- After a late night, he says you should still wake at your normal time rather than sleeping in or going to bed extremely early.
Worth remembering
- Forward walking generates 'optic flow' that lowers amygdala activity and reduces anxiety, backed by papers in Neuron and Journal of Neuroscience.
- Morning sunlight through cloud cover still delivers far more light-information photons to the eyes than a bright indoor bulb.
- Blue light early in the day is exactly the wavelength that best sets circadian rhythms, so daytime blue-blockers can be harmful.
- Yerba mate and guayusa increase GLP-1 release, and reused tea leaves seem to enhance that effect on subsequent pour-overs.
- Eyes directed upward and an upright posture increase alertness via brainstem circuits; looking down increases sleepiness.
- There is a direct neural connection from the bladder to brainstem alertness centers, which is why a full bladder feels so agitating.
- About 1,000 mg/day of EPA omega-3 has been shown as effective as prescription antidepressants for relieving depression.
- Refined sugar can trigger gut neurons via the vagus nerve and nodose ganglia to release dopamine and drive more sugar craving.
- Hot baths, showers, or sauna accelerate the post-heat body-temperature drop that makes falling asleep easier.
- During non-REM sleep you cool yourself by sticking out a hand, foot, or face through AVAs (arteriovenous anastomoses).
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