Today's episode provides a host of information on what makes us sleepy, sleep soundly, and feel awake and alert. It covers a broad range of tools for anyone wishing to improve their sleep and wakeful state. The science and logic for each tool are described. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:23) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Thesis, Momentous (00:06:54) What Is Sleep Really For? (00:09:33) Sleep Hunger (00:11:09) Caffeine: Devil & Angel (00:15:34) Timing Your Sleep Properly (00:17:30) Release Your Hormones (At The Right Times) (00:18:45) (Pineal) Melatonin Waring (00:24:30) Strange Vision Is Good Vision (00:32:50) Blue Light Is Great! (00:37:00) The Real Problem With Smartphones (00:38:30) Blind / Low Vision People (00:39:45) Using Exercise & Food To Set Your Clock (00:42:00) The Power of Sunset (00:45:43) The Healthy Holes In Your Skull (00:48:15) Bad Light (00:51:11) Light Location (00:53:00) Fire / Candlelight (00:54:00) When To Eat (00:54:40) How To Wake Up Earlier (01:08:00) Using The Body To Control The Mind (01:10:00) Drugs & Supplements (01:18:00) Sleep Walking (01:20:00) Office Hours Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer
The period of sleep and wakefulness are interconnected, making it important to understand the basics of sleep in order to improve one's sleeping habits, including falling asleep quicker, timing sleep, and accessing better quality sleep.
The relationship between adenosine and adenosine receptors, as well as genetic variations, make it hard to determine if and when one should consume caffeine. However, some individuals with a mutant form of the adenosine receptor can drink caffeine late in the evening and still fall asleep easily.
The pineal gland is the only organ in the human body that releases melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall asleep. It also plays a role in the onset of puberty and early adulthood.
Our body's circadian rhythm is heavily influenced by the light that enters our eyes, specifically a particular quality and amount of blue and yellow light early in the day, which is perceived by retinal ganglion cells and communicated to the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
This episode emphasizes how light exposure can affect your brain and body and lead to better circadian rhythm by getting light exposure early in the day and viewing sunlight around sunset, which can prevent some of the negative effects of light later in the day.
Bright light exposure at night can disrupt sleep patterns and make it harder to fall asleep, negatively impacting mood, mental health, learning, focus, and metabolism. Taking control of light exposure behavior at night can support good health and sleep.
Bright light exposure in the morning can advance your body clock, while light exposure at night can delay it, which impacts our ability to wake up and fall asleep at certain times of day.
Learn about various techniques to fall asleep, including meditation, hypnosis, and yoga nidra, which teach you to use your body to control your mind and improve the mind-body relationship. These techniques involve controlling breathing and using body scans to help you relax and fall asleep faster.
Certain forms of magnesium can increase neurotransmitters like GABA, which can help with falling asleep and staying asleep. Magnesium threonate is associated with transporters in the body that can bring more of it into cells, promoting drowsiness and aiding in restful sleep.
This podcast episode dives deep into the topic of sleep-related compounds and supplements, with warnings about potential side effects and links to peer-reviewed studies.