Andrew Huberman’s Morning Routine

1. Wake Up Early

What wake up alarm uses Andrew Huberman? He doesn’t use any. Huberman wakes up naturally, usually between 5:30 AM and 6:30 AM without an alarm clock. This helps regulate his circadian rhythms and ensures he starts his day feeling energized¹².

When you wake up in the morning, you wake up because a particular hormone called cortisol is released from your adrenal glands, your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys³. He believes waking up with an alarm is not ideal for your body's natural circadian rhythms.

Key Insight: Huberman emphasizes that light exposure after waking is important to set his circadian rhythm. He steps outside soon after waking to expose his eyes to sunlight for 5-30 minutes. On days when sunlight is unavailable, he uses a SAD lamp¹.

2. Hydration

When a person consumes even just 2% less fluid than their recommended amount, their cognitive and physical performance is impaired, highlighting the importance of understanding how much water or fluid we need to drink each day.

Upon waking, Huberman drinks two glasses of water to rehydrate his body after a night’s sleep².

LMNT, Electrolyte Drink: He consumes it because LMNT is rich in sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Buy here.
Salted Water: A glass of water with a small amount of salt (half a teaspoon) to stimulate ionic flow and improve hydration efficiency⁴⁵. Sea Salt [Buy here] | Himalayan Salt [Buy here].

Huberman is a proponent of using sea salt or Himalayan pink salt over regular table salt because they contain additional minerals beyond just sodium.

AG1 by Athletic Greens – essential vitamins, minerals, and probiotics mixed with water, sometimes adding lemon or lime juice. Buy AG1.

I’ve been using AG1 since 2012 because it’s the simplest, most straightforward way for me to get my basis of important vitamins, minerals, and probiotics².

3. Yoga Routine

Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) is a significant part of Huberman’s routine. He often refers to this practice as Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR), highlighting its ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps in managing stress and promoting relaxation⁶.

”One study shows that 10 to 30 minutes of this yoga nidra practice restores levels of dopamine in an area of the brain called the basal ganglia, which are involved in motor planning.”

Yoga Nidra Tutorial Video (for beginners, 10 minutes)

I think people can get a lot out of having a protocol that they do maybe first thing in the morning when they wake up if they didn’t get enough sleep⁶.

4. Morning Sunlight Exposure

After yoga, Huberman focuses on sun exposure for 5-30 minutes, depending on the sun's intensity. If a day is missed, he tries to double the exposure time the next day¹.

Alternative for Limited Sunlight: use a SAD lamp, Buy Here.

This practice helps regulate his circadian rhythm, boosting alertness and mood⁷¹⁸.

Read more about Morning Sunlight Exposure in his protocol.

5. Delayed Caffeine Intake

Huberman recommends delaying caffeine intake for 90 to 120 minutes after waking up. This allows adenosine, a molecule that builds up in the brain, to dissipate naturally, reducing the likelihood of an afternoon energy crash⁷¹⁹.

Caffeine is a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration, impairing cognitive and physical performance.
Huberman takes coffee or yerba mate (he prefers non-smoked versions due to potential carcinogenic risks).

There’s one particular brand that I like. I don’t have any affiliation to them whatsoever, but I’ve been using it for years. It’s Anna Park. It’s an organic brand that is sold. I buy mine on Amazon. Buy Anna Park.

Did you know about Caffeine? Adenosine is a molecule that builds up in the brain the longer you are awake, contributing to feelings of sleepiness. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors, temporarily preventing the feeling of fatigue.

Dosage: The optimal caffeine dosage for improving focus and concentration ranges from 100 to 400 milligrams, depending on individual tolerance and whether it is consumed with or without food¹⁰.

6. Exercise

His morning exercise routine alternates between cardio and weight training, which enhances both physical fitness and mental performance⁷¹¹¹. His weekly schedule incorporates various types of training to ensure a balanced approach to fitness, focusing on endurance, strength, and recovery:

Monday: Leg resistance training (50-60 minutes).
Tuesday: Heat and Cold Exposure for cardiovascular benefits and recovery.
Wednesday: Upper Body Resistance Training.
Thursday: Moderate to High-Intensity Cardio (35 minutes).
Friday: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
Saturday: Customizable Resistance Training.
Sunday: Long endurance training (35-75 minutes), such as rowing, cycling, slow jogging, swimming, or hiking⁷.

7. Devices for Exercises

Huberman emphasizes tracking health metrics to optimize fitness routines. He recommends devices such as the WHOOP 4.0 fitness tracker to monitor sleep, recovery, and strain, tailoring workouts more effectively. Buy WHOOP 4.0.

Additionally, Huberman includes neck training in his routine to improve posture and reduce injury risk. He suggests using devices like the TDS 4-Way Neck Machine¹². Buy TDS 4-Way Neck Machine | Buy Iron Neck Alpha (budget-friendly alternative).

CoolMitt: Huberman discusses using a CoolMitt to significantly enhance exercise performance by efficiently cooling the body. This allows for performing more volume and repetitions of resistance exercises and improving endurance activities like running or cycling¹². Buy CoolMitt ($200 OFF if you subscribe to their newsletter).

8. Mindful Work Session

After exercising, Huberman recommends structuring intense work into 90-minute bouts or "ultradian cycles" to align with the brain's natural rhythms of focus and fatigue⁷¹¹³
Defocus Periods: After the 90-minute work bout, he takes a 10-30 minute "deliberate defocus" break to allow the brain to reset
Visual Focus Exercises: he stars at a single point for 30-60 seconds before starting a focused work session. This helps in ramping up the brain's focus mechanisms ¹⁴

brainwaves

Light: Huberman uses¹⁵ the Artograph LightPad LX 930, a lux lamp, to simulate bright morning light. He props the LightPad on its side facing him on his desk and keeps it on until natural sunlight is available. Buy Artograph LightPad LX 930

Here is what I use: (no affiliation) Artograph LightPad 930 LX - 12" x 9" Thin, Dimmable LED Light Box for Tracing, Drawing
I prop it on its side facing me on my desk. (I wake early before sunrise usually). And get sunlight once it’s sunny out.
— Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. (@hubermanlab) October 24, 2021

Ambient: Huberman recommends using apps like BrainWave to generate 40Hz binaural beats, which have been shown in studies to improve focus and concentration by increasing dopamine levels. Download BrainWare

noise-cancelling

Noise-cancelling: He used to wear noise-cancelling headphones during work to eliminate auditory distractions. In a LinkedIn post, Huberman mentioned that he stopped using Bluetooth headphones over a year ago because he was experiencing unilateral headaches
Standing-desk: In his podcast episode on "Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus & Creativity", Huberman recommends using a mixed standing-seated desk setup. He mentions that you don't necessarily need to purchase an expensive standing desk.

For example, you might buy an affordable Flexispot Standing Desk, Buy Here

desk

Andrew Huberman Morning Routine

Andrew Huberman’s Morning Routine

1. Wake Up Early

2. Hydration

3. Yoga Routine

4. Morning Sunlight Exposure

5. Delayed Caffeine Intake

6. Exercise

7. Devices for Exercises

8. Mindful Work Session

Citations

Andrew Huberman Morning Routine

Andrew Huberman’s Morning Routine

1. Wake Up Early

2. Hydration

3. Yoga Routine

4. Morning Sunlight Exposure

5. Delayed Caffeine Intake

6. Exercise

7. Devices for Exercises

8. Mindful Work Session

Citations

Footnotes