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Back to #521: Dr. Andrew Huberman — a Neurobiologist on Optimizing Sleep, Performance, and Testosterone, with Andrew Huberman.

How Did an Earlier Cortisol Pulse Ease Depression?

Andrew Huberman says morning light exposure triggers dopamine release. He calls dopamine part of the reward system and the molecule of motivation and positive anticipation. A cortisol pulse arrives once every 24 hours no matter what. The rhythm is intrinsic, and viewing light or exercising early in the day can time it.

David Spiegel, associate chair of psychiatry at Stanford, co-published with Bob Sapolsky. They showed that a cortisol pulse later in the day, especially around eight or nine PM, is associated with depression. Shifting the pulse earlier in the day ameliorates some of the symptoms of depression, and the dopamine release brings an overall mood enhancement.

He names four timekeepers for circadian biology, mood, and sleep. Light is the most powerful, then exercise, then feeding, then social cues such as people or a dog early in the day. Miss one day and the body still sends an early alertness signal, because it learns to anticipate the cues. Doing the cues every day is like setting a watch.

Grokipedia·Andrew Huberman·David Spiegel

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#521: Dr. Andrew Huberman — a Neurobiologist on Optimizing Sleep, Performance, and Testosterone ·

The Tim Ferriss Show

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  1. Why View Sunlight Right After Waking Up?Andrew Huberman says light viewing behavior has perhaps the strongest effect on levels of alertness and on the capacity to fall asleep and get a good night's…
  2. How Does Two Days of Light Cover a Nine-hour Jump?Andrew Huberman says the temperature minimum is the anchor for shifting sleep before a trip to Europe.
  3. When Does Andrew Huberman Take Ashwagandha?Andrew Huberman starts ashwagandha late in the day once stress has lasted more than two or three days.
  4. Why Did Andrew Huberman Coin Non-sleep Deep Rest?Andrew Huberman coined non-sleep deep rest so people who avoid the name yoga nidra will still use the practice.
  5. How Does a Physiological Sigh Cut Stress So Fast?Andrew Huberman says the physiological sigh cuts stress the fastest while a person is still engaged in life.
  6. What Spiegel Eye Roll Score Did Tim Ferriss Get?Andrew Huberman says Tim Ferriss would score probably about a four on the Spiegel eye roll test, and a four is very hypnotizable.
  7. Why Does Andrew Huberman Mix Tools for Brain Change?Andrew Huberman says people keep behavioral tools, nutrition, supplementation, prescription drugs, and brain-machine interface devices in separate bins.
  8. What Fight Made Andrew Huberman Turn His Life Around?Andrew Huberman realized he was in serious trouble after a fight on July 4th, 1994. He was 19.
  9. Did Bill Gates Really Drop Out of College?Andrew Huberman took a leave of absence from UC Santa Barbara. He did not drop out. A leave of absence is a mechanism most universities have.
  10. Why Did Andrew Huberman Almost Get Kicked Out of Hoffman?Andrew Huberman says the Hoffman Process was most transformative for him in forgiveness.
  11. Why Did Andrew Huberman Go Back Into a Shark Cage?Andrew Huberman's safety tanks were empty inside a shark cage, and he calls it the biggest nightmare. One thought hit him: he was going to go home alive.
  12. Does Turmeric Block Dihydrotestosterone?Andrew Huberman says turmeric is a fairly potent dihydrotestosterone antagonist.
  13. How Did Fadogia Agrestis Lift Andrew Huberman's Testosterone?Andrew Huberman says some people take far too much Fadogia Agrestis.
  14. What Testosterone Dose Sits Between Normal and Blasting?Andrew Huberman says sports testosterone replacement is a middle path people created on the internet.
  15. How Much Water Does the Galpin Equation Call for?Andrew Huberman says hydration is a big factor in cognitive function, and people often overlook it.
  16. Why Wait Ninety Minutes Before Morning Caffeine?On The Tim Ferriss Show, most people would benefit from waiting ninety minutes to two hours after waking before they ingest caffeine.
  17. How Do You Undo Too Much Coffee Before Bed?Andrew Huberman says caffeine can be countered in one direct way and two indirect ways. The direct way is to raise glucose.
  18. Why Seek Sugar With a Numb Mouth?On The Tim Ferriss Show, neurons in the mucosal lining of the gut sense fatty acids, amino acids, and sugar. They like fat.
  19. How Does Andrew Huberman Want Useful Tools to Spread?Andrew Huberman says his one request follows a laboratory saying, and he notes the saying is certainly not unique to laboratories: watch one, do one, teach one.

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