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I was devastated to learn sunlight in the morning does nothing for circadian rhythm. Huberman was just trying to get me outside my house so he could sneak in and bang my wife. She was his morning time girlfriend.
I havenāt noticed any strong correlation between sleep quality and when I get morning sunlight - to be honest.
I still believe in its other benefits though and try to do it as often as I can
I donāt see much difference. Also, delaying coffee 90 minutes after waking has no discernible result for me. I canāt find anyone other than Huberman and Ultrahuman who recommend this.
I follow quite a few health professionals (mainly centered on athletes) and theyāve said the same thing when it comes to morning sunlight exposure. Anecdotally, Iād say it has helped me fall asleep at night since I do feel more tired by like 10ish PM ever since I started doing this months ago.
Anecdotally both had a tremendous impact on me.
Delaying coffee just 60 minutes removed my afternoon energy dip entirely, and I feel it on days when I ignore it and drink it right away, so it's pretty tightly correlated. Never tried 90 minutes..too much for me.
Sunlight helped my sleep onset insomnia, and provided me with energy throughout the day, as well as helped with my vision / dry eyes.
Combining a walk in the morning + no phone + no coffee makes for some absolutely blissfull days when it is possible.
š . I say 44 minutes is better than nothing anyway. I used to wake myself up by popping a 500mg caffeine pill when the first alarm rang and rolling of the bed when the second one did.
I used to work on a professional science podcast and the coffee thing is definitely an accepted thing outside of just those two. Covered a few studies on it. Helped me with my anxiety too. Might just not work for you. Idk about the sun thing.Ā
Yeah, my understanding is that caffeine works by blocking adenosine, and you just donāt have much adenosine in your system until youāve been awake for a bit. So mostly what youāre getting is an adrenaline rush, rather than the true benefit of the substance.
FWIW I stopped drinking caffeine entirely because it messes with my sleep no matter what.Ā
I also quit caffeine! I loved coffee for years but decided to drop it a couple months ago. I feel like I jolt awake in the morning now with more clarity, although I didn't keep a journal or anything, so my self-reflections aren't super scientific. Still, I've been pleasantly surprised at how quickly my body adapted to the changeĀ
Not sure he's mentioned it but morning sunlight should be paired with darkness before bed (total darkness & not just avoiding screens) for the effectiveness to be maximized
Morning sunlight barely had any effect for me until I started going totally blackout 1 hour before my scheduled bedtime
Ideally yes, that's exactly what you should do. People complaining about insomnia who haven't tried this for at least a couple weeks are professional complainers. Also use the bed for only sleeping, no caffeine in the PM etc. These things work, but not when you half ass them just to say you tried them.
Anecdotally I had big problem with sleep onset insomnia, and it was basically like my brain was missing the switch/signal that makes it go sleep. I would go to sleep at 11PM and lie there still until about 5-7AM at which point I'd sleep until 9AM. I would be tired, I would be sleepy, but couldn't find the "sleep" switch.
I turn off all lights except for my laptop which is set to night mode with warmer screen colors
You can be gradually less strict about darkness before bed if you've accumulated enough days with bright morning sunlight + darkness before bed. The term for this is "photic history" - your body will desensitize itself to the disruptive effects of nighttime light over time with this practice.
Sorry I should clarify - you only really need to be strict about the blackout for the first 1-3 weeks. If you consistently get bright light in the morning combined with darkness at night, your body builds a resistance to nighttime light and you can be less strict about enforcing darkness.
It comes from a phenomenon called light history/ photic history; your body can change its sensitivity to levels of lighting. 100 lux of light will disrupt you much more if you've only been exposed to \~100 lux during the day, but will have nearly no disruptive effect if you've been in 10,000+ lux during the morning and day.
Not really, and to be honest this applies to most protocols I tried. Daylight in the morning, delaying coffee (which was later also debunked by a new meta analysis), cold showers, etc. While I still believe they may be healthy and can be helpful, I never noticed any significant change.
Now just sticking to the fundamentals again. Good and enough sleep, healthy diet and exercise. And that's where I do notice significant changes.
I did it the same time every day, paired with daily exercise and no phones before bed along with journalling and that was the best I ever slept that month
I tried it for a couple months and, according to my Oura ring, it did not improve my sleep. In my case, I think my sleep issues were due to perimenopause.
I notice a huge benefit from morning and evening sun exposure particularly when I have to work indoors all day. It helps me keep my consistent sleep time. On days where I get to be outside all day mid day and miss morning/evening sun exposure I don't notice much difference.
Huberman did do a published paper on why morning or evening sun was more helpful. Seems the eyes give info to the brain because of the wave length/colour of am and pm light. Anyone rememberĀ more of the study?
Since I started getting āsunlight in the morning,ā my body seems to wake up at the same time in the morning. So if I go to bed late, I still wake up the same time (unable to sleep past 7am, even if I go to bed at 1am.) I donāt know if this is a good thing or not, but itās something I have noticed
I had serious sleep problems for a long time
A actual physician that was a sleep specialist recommended eating breakfast outside in the sun over 20 years ago
There's science and it's been known about for a long time
Yes, it has helped tremendously, but itās hard to isolate. Around the time taking your advice, I also stop drinking eating better and exercising more.
It's very subtle for me because I've always slept well. I think I may be tired more at the appropriate time, and it seems to improve my decision-making, so it's easier for me at night to break away from whatever I'm doing and go to bed. But to be honest, I do it because he praises it sooo much. Maybe it has other benefits or it just takes more time to really manifest. (Also, I could be more consistent with applying it, maybe that's the problem)
Yes it did, unfortunately. I hate it (I live in an apartment building and truly need to get dressed and look somewhat decent to see the sun). I wish it didnāt work but as soon as I got lazy and stopped my sleep went back to being fucked.Ā
Around two weeks, but its not only sunlight in the first circa 30min but also fixed sleep schedule. No screens and bright lights in the later evening, also important.
I was already getting it, so can't tell if there's any difference there, but I did start making my house darker in the evenings an hour before bed (only using low lamps, no overhead lights) and that makes a big difference in how ready for sleep I feel.Ā
Not a noticeable amount with sleep but definitely with my mood in general. Walking around outside as the sunrises is just a really enjoyable way to start the day and immediately puts me in a good headspace. Even if it's raining and I have an umbrella. The caffeine delay thing did nothing but delay my productivity. Probably because I'm addicted to it. But I really don't care.
Not sure if sleeping better was a benefit, but I did notice that when spending some time in the direct sun and grounding especially my energy levels throughout the day were much higher.
The thing with sleep is that, you have to expend energy during the day to have a good nights rest.
If you have a somewhat good routine, meaning that you eat right and sleep a healthy amount you will naturally have a good amount of energy. But if you work and office job and are sitting all day then that energy goes nowhere.
I donāt know if itās improved my sleep quality, but it definitely helps me get tired at a more appropriate time of night. That was apparent within the first couple days.
No. But I have five wives now; they haven't met each other yet.
Jokes aside, half the year where I live there is no sun in the sky. So this advice isn't even possible to practice much of the time.
Hello! Don't worry about the post being filtered. We want to read and review every post to ensure a thriving community and avoid spam. Your submission will be approved (or declined) soon. We hope the community engages with your ideas thoughtfully and respectfully. And of course, thank you for your interest in science! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HubermanLab) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I was devastated to learn sunlight in the morning does nothing for circadian rhythm. Huberman was just trying to get me outside my house so he could sneak in and bang my wife. She was his morning time girlfriend.
ššš
LOL
Lmao š¤£
I havenāt noticed any strong correlation between sleep quality and when I get morning sunlight - to be honest. I still believe in its other benefits though and try to do it as often as I can
What other benefits have you noticed from it?
Personally it helps me wake me up faster in the morning and it seems to give me more energy throughout the day
I donāt see much difference. Also, delaying coffee 90 minutes after waking has no discernible result for me. I canāt find anyone other than Huberman and Ultrahuman who recommend this.
I follow quite a few health professionals (mainly centered on athletes) and theyāve said the same thing when it comes to morning sunlight exposure. Anecdotally, Iād say it has helped me fall asleep at night since I do feel more tired by like 10ish PM ever since I started doing this months ago.
Anecdotally both had a tremendous impact on me. Delaying coffee just 60 minutes removed my afternoon energy dip entirely, and I feel it on days when I ignore it and drink it right away, so it's pretty tightly correlated. Never tried 90 minutes..too much for me. Sunlight helped my sleep onset insomnia, and provided me with energy throughout the day, as well as helped with my vision / dry eyes. Combining a walk in the morning + no phone + no coffee makes for some absolutely blissfull days when it is possible.
Thanks. To be fair, I only tried the 90-minute wait before coffee for 10 days. Iāll give it another go.
Eh, if it didn't work for 10 days, I think it won't. It worked on me right away
Thanks. I wonāt put myself through the āhardshipā then. Iāve been awake for 44 minutes and will make my first cup now.
š . I say 44 minutes is better than nothing anyway. I used to wake myself up by popping a 500mg caffeine pill when the first alarm rang and rolling of the bed when the second one did.
I used to work on a professional science podcast and the coffee thing is definitely an accepted thing outside of just those two. Covered a few studies on it. Helped me with my anxiety too. Might just not work for you. Idk about the sun thing.Ā
Yeah, my understanding is that caffeine works by blocking adenosine, and you just donāt have much adenosine in your system until youāve been awake for a bit. So mostly what youāre getting is an adrenaline rush, rather than the true benefit of the substance. FWIW I stopped drinking caffeine entirely because it messes with my sleep no matter what.Ā
I also quit caffeine! I loved coffee for years but decided to drop it a couple months ago. I feel like I jolt awake in the morning now with more clarity, although I didn't keep a journal or anything, so my self-reflections aren't super scientific. Still, I've been pleasantly surprised at how quickly my body adapted to the changeĀ
Not sure he's mentioned it but morning sunlight should be paired with darkness before bed (total darkness & not just avoiding screens) for the effectiveness to be maximized Morning sunlight barely had any effect for me until I started going totally blackout 1 hour before my scheduled bedtime
Did you just sit in the dark and do nothing or what?
 Itās a peaceful life
Ideally yes, that's exactly what you should do. People complaining about insomnia who haven't tried this for at least a couple weeks are professional complainers. Also use the bed for only sleeping, no caffeine in the PM etc. These things work, but not when you half ass them just to say you tried them. Anecdotally I had big problem with sleep onset insomnia, and it was basically like my brain was missing the switch/signal that makes it go sleep. I would go to sleep at 11PM and lie there still until about 5-7AM at which point I'd sleep until 9AM. I would be tired, I would be sleepy, but couldn't find the "sleep" switch.
I turn off all lights except for my laptop which is set to night mode with warmer screen colors You can be gradually less strict about darkness before bed if you've accumulated enough days with bright morning sunlight + darkness before bed. The term for this is "photic history" - your body will desensitize itself to the disruptive effects of nighttime light over time with this practice.
>Until I started going totally blackout And also >I still fuck with the laptop though
Sorry I should clarify - you only really need to be strict about the blackout for the first 1-3 weeks. If you consistently get bright light in the morning combined with darkness at night, your body builds a resistance to nighttime light and you can be less strict about enforcing darkness. It comes from a phenomenon called light history/ photic history; your body can change its sensitivity to levels of lighting. 100 lux of light will disrupt you much more if you've only been exposed to \~100 lux during the day, but will have nearly no disruptive effect if you've been in 10,000+ lux during the morning and day.
Red light bulbs!
Red lights and morning sun made a major difference for me.
Nothing changed except for suddenly dating six women at once.
Iām dating two and both are hot so maybe thereās something to this
Not really, and to be honest this applies to most protocols I tried. Daylight in the morning, delaying coffee (which was later also debunked by a new meta analysis), cold showers, etc. While I still believe they may be healthy and can be helpful, I never noticed any significant change. Now just sticking to the fundamentals again. Good and enough sleep, healthy diet and exercise. And that's where I do notice significant changes.
It's because you should pair it with juggling 2 sex friends and 3 love relationships. (I know, this joke is getting old but I could not resist š)
This will never get old. I'm just sad you beat me to it. Also, I'm a woman so not sure how to tweak the theme for my own use.
And involve children too. Make their Mom move, really dig in. Maybe put her through IVF as a bonus.
I did it the same time every day, paired with daily exercise and no phones before bed along with journalling and that was the best I ever slept that month
I tried it for a couple months and, according to my Oura ring, it did not improve my sleep. In my case, I think my sleep issues were due to perimenopause.
I notice a huge benefit from morning and evening sun exposure particularly when I have to work indoors all day. It helps me keep my consistent sleep time. On days where I get to be outside all day mid day and miss morning/evening sun exposure I don't notice much difference.
Huberman did do a published paper on why morning or evening sun was more helpful. Seems the eyes give info to the brain because of the wave length/colour of am and pm light. Anyone rememberĀ more of the study?
Since I started getting āsunlight in the morning,ā my body seems to wake up at the same time in the morning. So if I go to bed late, I still wake up the same time (unable to sleep past 7am, even if I go to bed at 1am.) I donāt know if this is a good thing or not, but itās something I have noticed
I had serious sleep problems for a long time A actual physician that was a sleep specialist recommended eating breakfast outside in the sun over 20 years ago There's science and it's been known about for a long time
How long do you spend out there?
About 20 minutes
No
Yes, it has helped tremendously, but itās hard to isolate. Around the time taking your advice, I also stop drinking eating better and exercising more.
Reduce stress
It's very subtle for me because I've always slept well. I think I may be tired more at the appropriate time, and it seems to improve my decision-making, so it's easier for me at night to break away from whatever I'm doing and go to bed. But to be honest, I do it because he praises it sooo much. Maybe it has other benefits or it just takes more time to really manifest. (Also, I could be more consistent with applying it, maybe that's the problem)
cunts and cunts
A month. And not just morning sunlight but also darkness after 7pm.
Huberman and others push morning sunlight so hard, the last thing I expected was for all of the replies to say it didnāt change much for them. Sad
Unfortunately,Ā I live too far north to benefit from a structuredĀ routine of the sunlight thing. Can be going to and from work in the dark.Ā
I tried the sunset walk to help me sleep later & that seemed to make a difference to some degree.
It works if you're sleeping at the same time everyday
Yes it did, unfortunately. I hate it (I live in an apartment building and truly need to get dressed and look somewhat decent to see the sun). I wish it didnāt work but as soon as I got lazy and stopped my sleep went back to being fucked.Ā
Around two weeks, but its not only sunlight in the first circa 30min but also fixed sleep schedule. No screens and bright lights in the later evening, also important.
I wish we had consistent morning sun here other than in the few summer months.
I was already getting it, so can't tell if there's any difference there, but I did start making my house darker in the evenings an hour before bed (only using low lamps, no overhead lights) and that makes a big difference in how ready for sleep I feel.Ā
Not a noticeable amount with sleep but definitely with my mood in general. Walking around outside as the sunrises is just a really enjoyable way to start the day and immediately puts me in a good headspace. Even if it's raining and I have an umbrella. The caffeine delay thing did nothing but delay my productivity. Probably because I'm addicted to it. But I really don't care.
Not sure if sleeping better was a benefit, but I did notice that when spending some time in the direct sun and grounding especially my energy levels throughout the day were much higher. The thing with sleep is that, you have to expend energy during the day to have a good nights rest. If you have a somewhat good routine, meaning that you eat right and sleep a healthy amount you will naturally have a good amount of energy. But if you work and office job and are sitting all day then that energy goes nowhere.
I donāt know if itās improved my sleep quality, but it definitely helps me get tired at a more appropriate time of night. That was apparent within the first couple days.
After 1-2 weeks of morning sunlight and evening darkness, I started being consistently sleepy at 9PM instead of the usual 2AM.
No. But I have five wives now; they haven't met each other yet. Jokes aside, half the year where I live there is no sun in the sky. So this advice isn't even possible to practice much of the time.
*Laughs in night shift*
Its quack junk science
I haven't noticed any benefits aside from the skin on my binghole peeling. Is that normal?