Visual timeline of Andrew Huberman's daily routine from 6 AM wake-up through 10 PM sleep, showing the arc of his day including morning sunlight, exercise, meals, and evening wind-down.
Andrew Huberman's Complete Daily Routine
The 30-Second Version
New to this?
Start with just 3 things: morning sunlight (free), delay caffeine 90 min (free), and the sleep stack (Magnesium + Apigenin + Theanine). Everything else is optimization.
Monthly cost estimate
Morning stack: ~$120-180/mo
Sleep stack: ~$40-60/mo
Just the essentials: ~$50/mo
Sunlight, cold showers, and caffeine timing are free.
Full Supplement Stack
Huberman emphasizes: behavioral tools come first. Supplements are "the icing, not the cake."
The Non-Negotiables His daily foundation
Performance + Focus Morning, pre-workout
Sleep Stack 30-60 min before bed — see full details in Evening section
Morning
The foundation. Every protocol Huberman considers non-negotiable happens before noon.
Wake Up
Wakes naturally between 5:30-6:30 AM without an alarm. Consistent wake time within a 1-hour window is what he calls "the anchor" of circadian health.
Hydrate + Electrolytes
16-32 oz of water with a pinch of sea salt or LMNT electrolytes. Then AG1 (Athletic Greens) mixed in water.
Why not plain water?
Drinking large amounts of plain water can dilute sodium and impair neuron function. He always adds electrolytes or takes them alongside. Guideline: half your body weight in ounces of water in the first 10 hours of the day.
Morning Sunlight
Most Important ProtocolWalks outside within 5-30 minutes of waking, looking toward the sun (not directly at it). No sunglasses. The forward movement (optic flow) reduces amygdala activity and baseline anxiety.
The science
Triggers a cortisol pulse via melanopsin retinal ganglion cells. Sets the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), initiates a timer for melatonin release 14-16 hours later. Winter/indoor fallback: 10,000 lux light therapy lamp at 12 inches for 10-20 minutes (inferior to real sunlight).
"Morning sunlight is the most powerful zeitgeber we have."
Cold Exposure
Cold shower or ice bath at 40-55°F (4-13°C) for 1-3 minutes. Before exercise on most days.
Key technique
He practices "the surge" - the urge to get out - and deliberately calms himself through it with slow exhales. Does NOT do cold after strength training (it blunts hypertrophy).
Red Light Therapy
10-20 minutes in front of a Joovv red light panel while handling low-cognitive tasks (emails, podcasts). Activates mitochondria in eyes and skin, supports testosterone, reduces inflammation.
NSDR / Yoga Nidra
10-30 minute Non-Sleep Deep Rest session. Lies still with eyes closed following a guided body-scan protocol.
Why NSDR over meditation?
Increases striatal dopamine by up to 65%. He tried traditional meditation for years and found NSDR more effective. He calls it "the single best reset tool" he's ever encountered. Tools: free YouTube scripts by Liam Gillen, or the Reveri app by David Spiegel.
"NSDR is the single best tool I know to restore mental and physical vigor during the day."
Exercise (Fasted)
45-60 minutes of resistance training or cardio depending on the day. Always fasted. Uses physiological sighs (double inhale, long exhale) between sets for heart rate recovery. Alternates monthly: Month 1 heavy (4-8 reps, 3-4 sets), Month 2 lighter (8-15 reps, 2-3 sets).
First Caffeine
90-120 min after wakingYerba mate (Guayaki brand), guayusa tea, or black coffee. 200-400mg total per day. Yerba mate contains caffeine plus theobromine and GLP-1 effects for smoother, longer-lasting energy. Hard cutoff at 2:00 PM.
Why delay caffeine?
Adenosine is still being cleared in the first 1-2 hours. Drinking caffeine immediately blocks adenosine receptors, but when it wears off, the adenosine crashes in and you get an afternoon crash. Delaying lets natural cortisol clear it first.
"If you drink caffeine first thing in the morning, you crash later. Wait 90 to 120 minutes."
Deep Work Block
90-minute focused cognitive work sessions (ultradian cycles) followed by 10-20 minute deliberate defocus. No food yet. No meetings if possible.
Workspace optimization
All overhead lights on, positioned near window. Monitor above eye level. Uses Freedom app for distraction blocking and 40Hz binaural beats for focus. No phone, no internet during the session. The first 5-10 minutes of a focus bout are transition time.
Midday
Breaking the fast, second work block, and managing the post-lunch dip.
First Meal
Protein-rich, relatively low carb. He saves carbs for dinner because they increase serotonin and promote sleepiness. Target: 1g protein per pound of body weight per day.
Post-Lunch Walk
Brief walk after eating. Aids digestion and provides a second light exposure of the day.
NSDR (If Needed)
10-20 minute NSDR session to counter the post-lunch dip. Uses this instead of reaching for more caffeine.
Second Work Block
Another 90-minute ultradian cycle of focused work. Afternoon focus is typically more creative/collaborative vs. morning analytical work.
Afternoon
Peak body temperature, sunset protocol, and the transition to winding down.
Second Workout (Some Days)
Body temperature peaks around 4-6 PM, making it optimal for strength and performance. Some training sessions happen here instead of morning.
Sunset Light Viewing
Circadian Protection5-10+ minutes of low solar angle sunlight. No sunglasses. This is a separate protocol from morning sunlight.
Why sunset viewing?
The orange/yellow hues signal to the SCN that evening is approaching. This "inoculates" the circadian clock so that artificial light later at night is less disruptive to melatonin onset. Not as critical as morning light, but very beneficial.
Last Meal
Higher in carbs and starches (rice, pasta, potatoes). Carbs in the evening promote serotonin and tryptophan availability, which supports sleep. Finishes eating 2-3 hours before bed. Alcohol is minimized due to damage to sleep architecture and gut microbiome.
Evening
Light management, the sleep stack, and optimizing for 7-8 hours of quality sleep.
Dim All Lights
Critical for SleepDims overhead lights. Switches to candlelight, dim lamps at or below eye level, or amber-toned bulbs. Screens at minimum brightness with warm-tone modes.
Why overhead light is worst
Melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells in the lower visual field are particularly sensitive to overhead light. Light from above is more disruptive than light at or below eye level. His rule: only use as much artificial light as needed for safe navigation.
Hot Shower / Bath
20-60 minutes before bed. Counterintuitively, the heat causes vasodilation and a subsequent core body temperature DROP, which accelerates sleep onset.
Sleep Supplement Stack
Taken 30-60 minutes before bed.
Wind Down
Reading physical books with dim light. Brief journaling to offload next-day tasks. Physiological sighs (double inhale, long exhale) to downshift the nervous system. No stressful news or stimulating content.
Sleep
Room at 65-67°F (18-19°C). Complete darkness (blackout curtains, no LEDs). Uses Eight Sleep cooling mattress pad. One foot out of covers for temperature regulation.
We tried it for 30 days
Three of us on the Noro team ran Huberman's core protocols (morning sunlight, caffeine delay, sleep stack) for a month. The sunlight walk was the easiest to stick with and had the most noticeable effect on sleep timing. The caffeine delay was brutal for the first week but eliminated the 2 PM crash entirely. The sleep stack worked best when taken consistently at the same time. The cold showers? One of us quit on day 4. The other two are now addicted.
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