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202505Sleep Routine

Sleep Routine

Based on the sources provided, here is a night routine timetable and important notes drawing from Andrew Huberman’s discussion:

Evening Routine Timetable

This timetable is based on activities and timings mentioned in the source material:

  • ~6:30 PM - 7:00 PM: Finish last meal.
    • Evening meals are typically more laden with carbohydrates than proteins. Examples mentioned include pastas, rice, and soups. Carbohydrates are thought to help reduce cortisol levels and aid in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, which can block the cortisol response and may help with sleep.
  • After the meal, throughout the evening:
    • May do a little bit of work, but is generally not a “big screen time guy” in the evening.
    • Avoids excessive screen time viewing.
    • Reads books.
    • Spends time hanging out, talking, and listening to music.
    • Might do some writing on the computer, but not excessively.
    • Generally avoids arguing or parsing of hard ideas before sleep, trying to taper off “forebrain-oriented” thinking.
    • Avoids drinking too many fluids to reduce the need to wake up during the night.
  • ~8:00 PM - 9:00 PM onwards: Start bringing the lights down; dim overhead lights due to a sensitivity to this pattern.
  • 30 to 60 minutes before target sleep time:
    • Take supplements. The recommended stack includes Magnesium L-Threonate or Magnesium Bisglycinate (100-200mg elemental), Apigenin (50mg), and Theanine (100-400mg). These are said to facilitate transition to sleep and increase depth of deep sleep by triggering Gaba activation.
    • Consider doing Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR). This is described as a powerful tool that facilitates the transition to sleep.
  • Transition to sleep:
    • Keep phone out of the bedroom as much as possible; if used as an alarm, put it on airplane mode.
    • Ensure the temperature in the home is kept lower, aiming for your body temperature to be about 1 to 3 degrees lower than the afternoon peak.
    • If using a temperature-controlled mattress pad (like an Eight Sleep), the strategy suggested is to start with a moderate temperature, make it colder for the middle part of the night (until about 3 or 4 AM), and then gradually warm it up closer to your wake time.
    • Sleep with warm blankets in a cold room, allowing hands and feet to potentially dump heat if needed. Avoid sleeping with socks on as it prevents heat dumping.
  • During the night (if waking):
    • If waking up in the middle of the night, turn on as many lights as needed to navigate safely, but try and keep the lights low.
    • If having trouble falling back asleep, highly recommend doing NSDR. This is seen as better than ruminating and helps teach you to fall back asleep.

Important Notes Regarding the Evening Routine & Sleep

Here are some key points from the sources:

  • Behaviors First: Behavioral tools should form the foundation of your sleep tools. This is because behaviors rewire your nervous system through neuroplasticity, helping you get better at falling asleep or waking up over time. Supplements react in the moment but do not provide this same rewiring effect.
  • Supplements:
    • Supplements can be powerful and are often a good alternative or supplement to prescription drugs, though many people may rely on excessive or unnecessary substances.
    • The specific supplements mentioned as helpful for sleep are Magnesium L-Threonate or Bisglycinate, Apigenin, and Theanine.
    • These supplements are generally low-cost.
    • Always check with your doctor before taking supplements, especially Magnesium if you have a heart condition.
    • Magnesium (100-200mg elemental) and Apigenin (50mg) are generally well-tolerated, although Magnesium can cause stomach upset in about 5% of people.
    • Theanine (100-400mg) can make dreams very vivid. It should not be taken by people who have night terrors or who sleepwalk.
    • All three recommended supplements trigger the activation of the neurotransmitter Gaba, which tends to shut off the forebrain.
  • Alcohol and Cannabis (THC): These substances are really disruptive to sleep, even if they might initially make you feel sleepy. The recommended supplements trigger a healthy release of Gaba.
  • NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest): This is highlighted as an absolute most powerful tool that has been incorporated into the routine. It can be used in the evening to facilitate sleep transition, or if waking up in the middle of the night or morning feeling unrested. It helps teach you to fall back asleep.
  • Temperature: Along with light, temperature is the most powerful stimulus for wakefulness. Body temperature naturally drops in the evening for sleep and rises before waking. Keeping your sleep environment cool is crucial for falling asleep and staying asleep. You dump heat mainly through the palms, upper face, and bottoms of the feet.
  • Evening Alertness Peak: There is a significant peak in alertness that occurs about 90 minutes before your natural sleep time. This is a normal physiological pattern. If you feel too alert at this time, remembering that this peak will naturally pass can be helpful.
  • Waking at Night: Waking up once in the middle of the night to use the restroom is perfectly normal.
  • Insomnia vs. Anxiety: Clinical insomnia is defined by falling asleep during the day due to trouble sleeping at night. Many people who worry about their sleep simply have anxiety about waking up, not clinical insomnia.
  • Screen Time / Stimulating Activities: Avoiding significant screen time and mentally stimulating activities (like arguing or complex problem-solving) close to bedtime is recommended as it can keep the forebrain too active.
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