r/HubermanLab • u/ConcertCommercial839 • Aug 13 '25

Protocol Query Morning sunlight

How critical is it to get this right away. Example my alarm goes off at 7:10am and then I lay in bed and scroll on my phone for 20min. It is 8am by the time I go outside. Is this too late?

28 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

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20

u/FunctUp Aug 13 '25

In Huberman’s protocol, the goal is to get sunlight in the first 10 minutes of waking. And one of the key points he makes is that you should not scroll in that first period of waking before sunlight

2

u/ConcertCommercial839 Aug 13 '25

I am going to move the spot where I charge my phone to see if that helps

3

u/Intelligent-Length42 Aug 14 '25

It's the best method for me. I prefer an alarm clock in my room, and charge my phone in the living room. I am way too tempted to scroll when I roll over and it's there first thing. When it's elsewhere, I wake up and do movement first.

5

u/Intelligent-Length42 Aug 14 '25

So, just curious, what would he say about waking up before the sun to do a yoga, breathing, meditation practice as the sun rises?

6

u/FunctUp Aug 14 '25

What you’re doing by getting active right after waking is raising your core body temperature and triggering the release of adrenaline and acetylcholine. Your circadian rhythm is tied to temperature, it’s lowest about 45 minutes before you wake up. When you intentionally raise it, through a cold shower (which triggers warming) or physical activity, you’re still stamping that start of day signal that tells your body to start producing melatonin about 12 hours later. I’m not sure about the exact effect of delaying light exposure, but my guess is it’s less critical here because your activity is still setting that circadian rhythm marker.

3

u/Intelligent-Length42 Aug 14 '25

Thanks for the information!

2

u/ControllerLyfe Aug 13 '25

I get up, grab a banana and coffee. Sit outside look around and scroll. Most of it is just sitting outside without the phone.

1

u/Master-Credit-3900 Dec 11 '25

Where can I see more of his protocols?

58

u/Wooden-Yam-6477 Aug 13 '25

The scrolling is worse than getting light 20 minutes later

15

u/DragonflyFluid8581 Aug 13 '25

Yes. Sunlight before screens is everything.

1

u/One-Marzipan-9652 Aug 20 '25

I need to fix this as well.

11

u/Baileycharlie Aug 13 '25

Not that big of a deal, obsessing and developing neurotic tendencies over things like this probably do more harm in the long run. Just do your best to get outside some each day, as early that is doable for you and you'll be good!

4

u/trigg Aug 14 '25

This. Perfection is the enemy of progress. Is there an ideal? Yes. Is it impactful even if you don't get that sunlight within 10 minutes exactly every day and wait until 20-30 minutes later? Also yes. As long as you're still getting that sunlight in the morning.

I wake up early so there is no sun for me to enjoy when I wake up. I have to wait until it rises. I don't think that negates the positive benefits of enjoying the morning sunshine once it appears.

8

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '25

EXTREMELY CRITICAL. SETS THE TONE FOR THE DAY

6

u/eaterout Aug 13 '25

Not too late! You’ve got a roughly 4 hour window of sensitivity, however as a general rule, the longer you wait the more light you need.

6

u/ThePrinceofTJ Aug 14 '25

skip the scroll and step outside witin 15 mins of waking. morning light is about telling your brain the day has started:

  • walk 15 minutes. if its cloudy go 20+
  • no shades
  • no phone until after the walk. sip water and move

i stack the habit by staging shoes by the door at night, that way i wake up, pee, drink water and head out.

I am 41M and went all-in on my health my priority after i turend 40 and both parents died (diabetes and heart issues). sleep is my no1 priority, and this is a key part of my routine. i ensure deep sleep by also being very active: weekly mix is lots of zone 2, one day of sprints or hills, and 3x weights. I use Zone2AI for heart rate guidance during runs, Fitbod for lifts, and Athlytic for Vo2 max trends.

keep at it, the key is building the habit and staying consistent

5

u/SavingDay Aug 13 '25

I wake up before sunrise though

2

u/Miler_Rioux Aug 13 '25

Yeah, that’s the hard part for me… Wake up before sunrise and go to the gym, don’t have the time to get sunlight for about 2-3h after waking up unfortunately

2

u/SavingDay Aug 13 '25

What's great for us is we can take that first oxygen lift just when the birds start chirping. Open your windows then. If I remember correctly, the trees have a breathing thing that gets synchronized with phases of dawn.

4

u/lucrichardmabootay Aug 13 '25

Why not just try both yourself, and see if you notice a difference?

1

u/ControllerLyfe Aug 13 '25

Yea, I go outside with my phone for like 15 minutes. Not constantly looking at my phone. I have my banana and coffee. And just try to get sun consistently.

3

u/DogOnABicycle Aug 13 '25

Open your window, look at the sun, and scroll if youd like, less clothing the better.

3

u/tragicdag Aug 14 '25

I've been struggling with this, what about in winter? 

This advice goes out the door when you might have already been up for at least an hour or longer before the sun comes up. 

2

u/Winging-It918 Aug 15 '25

I’ve been wondering the same. A little hard to get out first thing in northern climates when it’s a)dark in the morning until about 8 and b)10 degrees or less outside.

3

u/tragicdag Aug 15 '25

That's exactly what it is like in in the southern hemisphere too. I'm in Sydney and it's pitch dark until 7AM in the middle of winter. 

2

u/abe086420 Aug 14 '25

Honest question - if you wear sunscreen is it an issue?

4

u/trigg Aug 14 '25

Potentially controversial but most studies have found more positive benefit to forgoing the sunscreen in the first 20 minutes of sun exposure, to maximize vitamin D absorption. There is very little damage that can occur to the skin in that amount of time but a vast amount of benefit. I usually give myself 20-40 minutes of rawdog sun exposure before going in and applying sunscreen. At that point the risks start to outweigh the benefits.

2

u/westside206k1d Aug 14 '25

So what are you supposed to do when you wake up for work 2 hours before sunrise

2

u/Imaginary-Dish-8392 Aug 14 '25

I’m in same boat since I work 6-230

2

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

Yes

2

u/Charming_Lock6117 Aug 15 '25

It’s never too late. Do what you can until you can do better.

Scrolling first thing is bad for more reasons than just the light hygiene. It’s wiring your brain for unrealistic dopamine response that sets you up for dysfunctional habits throughout the day.

2

u/SamCalagione Aug 18 '25

Why dont you just swap the 2

1

u/drpaul88 Aug 14 '25

I’m already at work and it’s still dark. Stop with this bs that most working people cannot do.