The "Huberman Kick" and other Weird Sleep Protocols

Summary

Scott Carney reviews the sleep advice in Andrew Huberman’s book Protocols, focusing on whether its recommendations are supported by research or are largely Huberman’s own hypotheses. Carney argues that a protocol presented as reliable and effective should be tested with measurable outcomes—not justified only by biological mechanisms, personal experience, or anecdotes. He says Huberman’s book often relies on the latter, despite its extensive citations.

Wellness strategies discussed

• Morning sunlight: Huberman recommends getting outdoor light early in the day to support alertness and circadian timing. Carney considers this one of the book’s more plausible and useful suggestions, while noting that the clinical evidence he reviewed is limited.
• Sleep temperature and bedding: Huberman advises allowing hands and feet to emerge from under the covers and describes his own feet moving under the blankets later in the night. Carney treats this as ordinary comfort-seeking, not a distinctive or rigorously tested protocol.
• Evening sunlight: Huberman recommends spending 10–15 minutes outdoors in late afternoon or early evening, suggesting it may reduce the disruptive effect of artificial light later at night. Carney argues that the cited study used 2.5 hours of bright early-evening light, not a brief sunset exposure, and says the recommendation overstates what the study demonstrated.
• Artificial light: Huberman’s broader advice includes reducing blue and green light at night, using specialized lighting, and wearing “wind-down” glasses. Carney questions some of the supporting claims and notes that he has separately criticized a related sponsorship.
• NSDR (non-sleep deep rest): Huberman presents NSDR as a relaxation or nap-like practice based on yoga nidra, but stripped of spiritual elements. Carney argues that it is essentially guided meditation and objects to presenting a long-established practice under a new name.
• Evaluating routines: Carney distinguishes between testing a practice against a control or baseline and building a recommendation from proposed biological mechanisms. He says mechanistic reasoning can generate hypotheses, but should not be treated as proof without controlled testing. He also cautions that personal experience and anecdotes are not the same as evidence that a protocol works reliably for everyone.

Carney’s overall point is that a recommendation may still be useful even if it has not been rigorously tested—but it should not be presented as a proven, repeatable formula without adequate evidence. He previews further criticism of Huberman’s advice on dreaming, jet lag, and exercise, along with an AI-assisted review of the book’s citations.

Presenters and sources

• Scott Carney — presenter and reviewer.
• Andrew Huberman — author of Protocols; quoted in the video.
• Marjory Tekkolve et al. (2019) — authors of the study Carney discusses on early-evening light and later light exposure.
• Yoga nidra — the traditional practice Huberman identifies as a basis for NSDR.
• Henson Shaving — video sponsor.