What is the impact of early sunlight on sleep and being awake?

Question

Can someone tell me the relation of basking in the morning sun and its possible impact on my alertness during the day and my sleep during night?

Answer 1

This clip is from the Huberman Lab episode "Sleep Toolkit: Tools for Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing." The full episode can be found on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/h2aWYjSA1Jc

Comments

hello my dear. i try this every day four waking the morning but it no working. Why u make four shame me? i no u try youre best youre branes but please take care four liar accidentally my sweet. i wait.

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i waiting.

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ठीक कहा भाई. मुझे उस रोबोट आदमी के साथ भी यही समस्या है, जो अपने सभी पॉडकास्ट मेहमानों को अपनी सुरंगों का आनंद लेने की अनुमति देने के कारण मंकी पॉक्स से पीड़ित हो गया है। कितना अपमान है. ह्यूबरमैन यूक्रेन के उस जासूस से कहीं बेहतर है, लेकिन इस सलाह से मेरे पेट में दर्द हो गया।

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"सूरज को देखते रहो, और यद्यपि यह दुखदायी होगा क्योंकि तुम धीरे-धीरे अंधे हो जाओगे, मैं वादा करता हूँ कि तुम अस्पताल से अगले दिन जल्दी उठ जाओगे।" हमारे भगवान विष्णु कब्र में लोट रहे हैं!

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this episode is great

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How late in the day is too late or when the sun is too bright for it to work?

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You may want to be careful if you wake up and crank up the phone brightness to high level trying to trigger cortisol, if you keep doing it, you wont trigger cortisol, and surely you will trigger a host of eye issues and in some individuals trigger retinal pathology...

Answer 2

As a Norwegian I wake up in darkness, go to work in darkness, and go home from work in darkness lol

Comments

That's why black metal is so popular there

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Get a sunbed

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I moved from south Norway to Trondheim, so further north, and I looked up the sun during winter: 3h!

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Batman?

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Ha!

Answer 3

I wake up with anxiety. I started going outside and sitting in the sun a few months ago. I see the light, hear the birds, and feel so much better all day. I highly recommend getting outside early for anxiety relief. I also sleep better.

Comments

Sunlight is of the utmost importance to my mental health

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I'm so happy to hear that. ❤

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​@@SongJiangShiJinI wish you well. You are better than your addiction. Trust me.

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Sounds like your Cortisol is super high in a.m.  Me too.

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Anxiety is FEAR - what is so frightening?  Find that out and STOP thinking about it.  Lower your fear, eliminate anxiety sleep like a baby.

Answer 4

At the beginning of the year I started going for 30-40 minute walks every morning in the nearby forest and fields. Have kept it up mostly throughout the year. It is absolutely fantastic - I get plenty of light, I get exercise, I kickstart my metabolism, it wakes me up, and I feel like I have a more consistent energy throughout the day. It has reduced post-lunch slumps massively. It's like a biohack for modern life.

Comments

Yeah city life makes this harder. There isn’t always a park close by enough to be practical, and walking around in a park or your own neighborhood in the early hours, it’s often not safe. Plus the amount of time. This all sounds so leisurely. Lots of jobs require you wake way before sunrise. Plus we are meant to eat fresh made food, and meditate, and have a social life, and keep up interests/goals outside of work, and keep up with chores, etc. Where are these magical hours? I don’t think modern life lends itself to a healthy life. Still, we try, and general point taken. Get your body rev up before the attention stealing internet has a chance.

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Have a walk in Paris where the air is polluted and the streets are boring when you know them by heart, frankly even at 6am I can't picture how it could bring any benefit. This routine is ok when you re living in the country.

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Yeah...staring at the sun doesn't really make a lot of sense. Is this evidence based, or just anecdotal?

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Same

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What do you mean post-lunch slumps?

Answer 5

This practice has had such a huge impact on my quality of life, it's hard to believe. For decades I have struggled to fall asleep and then struggled to wake up, hitting snooze until the absolute last minute and starting my day in misery. Now I actually get sleepy at night and I naturally wake up an hour and a half earlier than I need to and I love it. Thank you so much for sharing this!

Comments

What's your sleep schedule now?

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How did you train your body to wake up earlier????

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I started by just getting up at the time I usually did, but going outside or looking out of an open window as soon as I got up in the morning and just looking towards the sun (or where the sun should be if it was overcast) for 10 - 20 minutes  depending on how cloudy it was. That helped me to actually feel sleepy and sleep better through the night. Then I started setting my alarm for about 5 minutes earlier each day until I reached the time I wanted to be naturally waking up and doing the same natural light exposure routine and gradually I was getting tired an falling asleep a bit earlier as well, and naturally feeling wakeful at the earlier time. I still do the same light exposure routine to keep my body clock on track, and I now actually go for a morning walk first thing when I get up when weather permits, and that it so much more pleasant than the way my days used to begin. Hope that helps!

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by doing the practice mentioned in the video.

Answer 6

Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:04  Morning sunlight exposure triggers cortisol spike for alertness and better sleep.
01:32 ️ Wear corrective lenses, not sunglasses, for morning sunlight viewing to activate wakefulness mechanisms.
02:30 ⏰ Morning sunlight is a foundational tool for improved wakefulness and sleep quality, backed by scientific research.
03:57  Artificial lights don't replace morning sunlight; use bright artificial lights early but get natural light once the sun is out.
05:22 ☁️ Sunlight exposure varies: ~5 mins on clear days, ~10 mins on cloudy days, up to 20-30 mins on overcast days; avoid relying on car windows or sunglasses.

Made with HARPA AI

Comments

​@Learn1886You know, even a cloudy weather has more light intensity than you think of it.

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thanks AI

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The enebyi q otvc pq ooo it

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Thanks

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What is harpa ai,how you use it.

Answer 7

Clear day = 5 mins
Cloudy     = 10 mins
Overcast / Rainy = 20/30 mins
DO NOT try to get it through window or windshield!

Comments

wrong, its doesn't absorb all UVB. he said a longer exposure is needed when behind a clear glass

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Yeah and by the time you get enough from behind screen, the sun has long passed that angle

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Thank you❗️♥️

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what about normal glasses? I got very bad eyesight, it would be a suicide to go out of my flat without them...

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Thank you!

Answer 8

Tried this for the first time this morning and holy crap it actually works! I set my alarm for 7.30am and went straight outside and got a good 5-10 mins of morning sunlight viewing. Normally i would roll out of bed at 8.45 and have a coffee straight away, probably check my phone for a while. Now I feel so much more energised and awake. I followed up the sunlight viewing with a pint of water. 11.30 and im only now having a coffee. This works, trust me

Comments

Thanks for sharing

Answer 9

You have helped me so much you can't even imagine. My circadian rhythm was so bad that i could say that i had the worst sleep cycle in all of the human beings i have ever encountered. And these steps have really helped me, now i sleep at 12am and wake up at 8am . I needed this information for the past decade but i am so grateful that i got em now .

Comments

Different people different schedules
The sun rises and sets at certain hours and we have to work with that.
Your definition of “boring life” is your own perspective. Everyone has their own lives and define exciting and boring in different ways.

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I’m

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Does anyone have any hairfall issues with poor sleep schedule ?

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Viewing this at 2:37 so please help me

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I go to sleep at 6am and wake up at 2pm

Answer 10

On the occasion of Teacher's Day here in India, I wish a life-changing teacher like you goes on educating and making thousands of lives a lot better. You inspire me to study hard for a good life. I'm in 9th grade now. Happy Teacher's Day Sir - 5-9-2023.

Answer 11

00:04 Getting outside in the morning can optimize sleep and alertness
00:48 Viewing sunlight early in the day
01:30 Wearing corrective lenses is recommended for morning sunlight viewing (avoid sunglasses).
02:19 Morning sunlight viewing is crucial for wakefulness and better sleep.
03:16 Artificial lights cannot replace sunlight for waking up early
04:07 Artificial light can disrupt circadian rhythms
04:53 Guidelines for Sunlight Exposure to Eyes
05:46 Try to get sunlight through a windshield or window (last resort)




Getting outside in the morning can optimize sleep and alertness
- Exposure to bright light triggers cortisol spike for alertness
- Low solar angle in the morning is ideal for outdoor light exposure

Viewing sunlight early in the day
- Look towards the sun if it's not too bright or painful
- If it's too bright, don't look directly at it and blink often

Wearing corrective lenses is recommended for morning sunlight viewing.
- UV protection in eyeglasses or contact lenses is okay.
- Get outside within the first hour of waking for best results.
- Three critical things to know about this tool.

Morning sunlight viewing is crucial for wakefulness and better sleep.
- Numerous peer-reviewed papers support the benefits of early morning light exposure.
- Artificial lights can be used before sunrise to promote wakefulness.

Artificial lights cannot replace sunlight for waking up early
- Artificial lights in your home are not sufficiently bright to turn on the cortisol mechanism and other wake up mechanisms needed early in the day
- Bright artificial lights in your home or on your phone can disrupt your sleep if you look at them too late at night or in the middle of the night

Artificial light can disrupt circadian rhythms
- Even a little bit of artificial light at night can disrupt circadian rhythms
- Getting outside and getting sunlight, especially on cloudy days, can help regulate circadian rhythms

Guidelines for Sunlight Exposure to Eyes
- Clear day: 5 minutes of sunlight exposure
- Cloudy day: 10 minutes of sunlight exposure, Densely overcast/rainy day: 20-30 minutes of sunlight exposure

Don't try to get sunlight through a windshield or window
- Getting enough light through a windshield or window takes too long and won't trigger relevant mechanisms
- Sunlight exposure is important for circadian rhythm functions, so it's best to get outside

Comments

Do you know why it has to be the very first thing in the morning?

Can't it be done 45 minutes after waking up on your way to work?
He said within 1 hour
Wondering if this makes a difference

Feels like a waste of time/unproductive first thing in the morning

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Try do very easy post excercise's (in 5-10 sets)  first thing in the morning, if ur body telling u something like walk or something else than try listening to ur body/brain it knows the best, at least try something

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Thank youuuu

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Thank you

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So you should always look toward the sun but never look directly at the sun right? even if the sun isn't too bright because it can damage your eyes

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in to the sun what mostly matters, tbh

Answer 12

Several years ago, during the summer time, I started waking up at 5am to walk my dog. I have never felt so good in my entire life and didn’t even realize it was due to getting outside to walk so early.
I felt happier and had a ton of energy. I couldn’t wait to wake up every morning! I can definitely tell a huge difference now it’s winter, so cold early on and many times just too icy to walk far.

Comments

Was the sun out at 5am?

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Since they said 'during the summer time', yes, the sun can rise as early as 5am. Here in the north of England it rises about 5:30am in summer. Out and nice and early to watch the sunrise, lovely.

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Take a cold shower before going outside in winter, believe me it boosts your energy greatly, you'll feel less cold

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​@@nonsudunkNO NO NO NOOOOO

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Hated it.....but it works and so effective ​@@nonsudunk

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​@@SultanOfThronesOnce you try it, you'll want to do it every day, water doesn't need to be too cold, just do it for few minutes and you'll see.

Answer 13

Love these clips.  When I don't have time for a full podcast episode.  Perfect.

Comments

I watch his stuff 2× sped. Ul get used 2 it

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Really

Answer 14

doing this for 2 weeks now after i quit night shifts and i must say its crazy how focused and awake i feel even if i haven't slept well that night before

Comments

Probably has more to do with quitting your night shift.

Answer 15

I have fixed my sleep schedule for the first time since I was a kid thanks to this tip. I am less depressed and I got energy to do exercise now. My mental health is improving drastically thanks to this podcast.

Answer 16

There's a book called Hidden Time Wealth, and it talks about how using some secret techniques, you can overcome procrastination and accomplish anything in life. It's not just a bunch of empty promises; it's the real deal.

Comments

Bot

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Who is the author ?

Answer 17

in 1993 I struggled to recover from a brain injury.  an alternative healer said sit in the sunlight for 5 min, then 10, then 15 each day.  it hurt my eyes and head like crazy but in 30 days my brain felt like it was reset.  it was the best advice I got.

Comments

I wish I had viewed your sharing years ago. I got medium-level concussion after a car accident several years ago and started to be sensitive to light, sound and perfume at the first few months, literally the same to you  it hurt my eyes and head like crazy". And so I avoided the exposure of daylight for most of my day, wore noise cancelling EarPods all day long. But the sensitivity never gone away and this‘s making life harder. This summer I've been trying not to wear sun glasses when driving in summer time, at first eyes and head aching with ringings in my ears, but after a month or so, I found that I'm not as sensitive as before! Very similar to your experience of resetting.

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​@@oliviah.407hey should i look directly to the sun or whts the perfect way for sun exposure

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Thank you for sharing.

Answer 18

I start my coffee, make my bed up, and grab my cup of coffee, and watch the sun come up 75% of the time.  Stay and pray 10-15 minutes. Afterwards, the sun comes through the big picture window. I keep the door open and the screen closed. Then I start my bible study. At this time in Spring, by 6:30 I start my day.
I did not know it benefit me at this level.  Thank you Andrew for sharing.

Comments

How did you train yourself to wake up so early?

Answer 19

I have had difficulty falling asleep and getting up in the morning for years. I have been following Dr. Huberman's advice, and I am thrilled with the results. I actually enjoy mornings now!

Answer 20

I have been waking up in the early morning hours after only a few hours of sleep and not being able to get back to sleep for 2 to 3 hours. I would feel awful  the next day. After I started doing this morning ritual, looking at the sunlight. I have been sleeping all night it is such a blessing. I thank God for Andrew Huberman and Jimmy  K. for letting us all know this is a good thing. Just be safe and don't look directly at the sun. ❤