Every person likes to take naps and it can make everything better. This is not just another opinion that some influencer is selling as a lifestyle hack on the internet, but a researched claim that one neuroscientist wants more people to know about. Internet-popular neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, a professor from Stanford, is on a mission to create awareness about crucial topics on which laymen have no or little information.
No caffeine intake just as you wake up
Most of us crave caffeine, the moment we wake up. While oldies would still prefer tea over coffee, millennials, and Gen Zs are habituated for a lifetime to rely on coffee as they float through their daily chores. While coffee definitely appeals to our palate, it is not exactly the most healthy start to the day. If you are one of those working professionals who prefer to carry a sipper full of caffeine with you all the time, then it seems you have been starting your mornings wrong all this time.
Huberman shared his "perfect morning routine" and spilled the secrets to maintaining sanity without fueling one's body with regular caffeine boosts, and it seems sleep is a big factor in achieving the best mornings and upgrading yourself.
The perfect morning routine to boost your productivity
The neuroscientist showed up on a YouTube channel called 'After Skool’ and presented his routine to the viewers. To get an extra dose of boost in the morning, Huberman says he prefers to start his day early and wakes up every day by 6:30 a.m. However, he skips the conventional rush to the kitchen, where he would blindly make a cup of coffee to kickstart his day. Rather, the Stanford professor heads out for a morning walk in the sun (if it's out by then).
He returns home after 10 to 15 minutes, depending on his mood and schedule, and heads straight to the kitchen. No, he does not start the coffee machine but rather consumes a glass of water mixed with salt to start his day.
While it might sound weird and intense to us, Huberman claims that this morning routine has worked wonders for his life. He said, "I'm certain that these tools work." He then proceeds to start his work and only has his first meal of the day at around 11 a.m. But Huberman concedes that no matter the amount of salt you put in your morning glass of water or the crispness of the sun rays that fall onto your body in the morning, a night of sound sleep will prove to be the best hack to maintain your productivity throughout the day.
The neuroscientist claims that sleep can reform a person
Huberman says, “There are certain foundational behaviours - certain dos and don'ts that set the stage for you to be better at everything.” Adding to it, he says “It always comes back to two elements - that's sleep and what I call non-sleep deep rest. Sleep is the fundamental practice or part of our 24-hour cycle where if you don't get it on a consistent basis, you are down-regulating your ability to do everything.”
Besides taking care of your sleep schedule and keeping it as consistent as you can, Huberman promotes his ultimate morning routine. He explains that his decision to not eat his first meal until midday ultimately improves his sugar control, heart health, and brain function. Obviously, the neuroscientist also combines a session of rigorous physical exercise with his daily routine. He recommends people keep up with these workouts at least five times a week for a healthy brain and body.
The neuroscientist claims lack of sleep greatly affects and even undermines public health
Besides Huberman, renowned neuroscientist Matthew Walker also believes that lack of sleep is the greatest public health challenge that we face in the 21st century. According to him, lack of sleep is not only making people sick but also degenerating their minds. As hustle culture and productivity start to become more prevalent in a young individual’s life, sleep is starting to lose its importance and function. While before, it used to be a common protocol that people should at least get 7-8 hours of sleep, now the same recommendation itself has been reduced to only 5–6 hours of sleep.
According to Walker, the majority of deadly diseases, obesity, and suicide rates all have a common connection to how much sleep we are getting. As soon as we hit the bed, most of us think of it as switching off for the day, but it could not be farther from the truth. In reality, the moment our eyelids surrender, our brain starts working. After the lights go out, the neurons start acting up, and the brain cells work in harmony as the data processors sort through the bundles of information brought in throughout the day.
During nap time, our brain concurrently runs some internal checks to ensure the balance of hormones, enzymes, and proteins. Getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep each night can not only improve our concentration but can also help us improve our planning and memory skills while maintaining the fat-burning systems that regulate our weight at the same time.
If, on a lucky day, each one of us got to sleep as much as we’re supposed to, we would all feel lighter and be less prone to developing Type 2 diabetes. Also, we will most likely be better prepared to cope with depression and anxiety.
A night of good sleep can even lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer.
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