How to optimize light exposure for better sleep | Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman

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This clip is from episode 286 - Journal club with Andrew Huberman: the impact of light exposure on mental health & an immunotherapy breakthrough for cancer treatment
In this clip, Peter and Andrew discuss:
- Reducing stimulus before bed to improve sleep
- Why it's important to reduce light exposure before bed
- The pros and cons of sleep tracking devices
- And more
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About:
The Peter Attia Drive is a deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing longevity, and all that goes into that from physical to cognitive to emotional health. With over 70 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including exercise, nutritional biochemistry, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.
Peter Attia is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan.
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[@bricklawson9745]

Same here with the screens before bed... After years of paying close attention, I realized that the lights/screens at night don't keep me from sleeping, but the type of media or even topics of conversation with others before bed can.

[@paddyguitarhero]

Living in BC, Canada on the wrong side of a mountain overcast for months and don't see sun from Nov to Mar. Have noticed a steady decline in HRV with no other changes except light exposure. Yesterday I dragged my Rogue Echo out onto the deck at first light and did my morning 30mins outside. HRV up last night, did it again today. Going to test for next week to measure change, Thx Peter and Andrew.

[@MetaMetis]

Dear Dr Huberman, Should you have the time, I'd be so interested to hear your thoughts on the seeming contradiction between the recommended time exposure for red light & infrared therapy of 15 - 20 min due to photobiomodulation guidelines which, as I understand, limit this to avoid excessive stress to the mitochondria, versus the benefits of eliminating all light sources except for such bulbs during the evening. Perhaps it is a question of distance from the bulbs, or perhaps I haven't understood the concept of biophotomodulation with its bell curve efficiency guide. Such bulbs seem akin to fire, so the 15 min recommendation seems strange. Any insight would be appreciated! Keep up the amazing work, and thank you and Dr Attia for this exchange.

[@dm_podcast_takeways]

Peter Attia discusses the importance of managing light exposure for optimal health, particularly in the context of modern lifestyle changes. He notes that people spend the majority of their time indoors, with daytime environments often too dim and nighttime environments too bright. While previously advocating for strict avoidance of blue light in the evening, Attia now emphasizes the importance of considering the context. He highlights that the content on devices matters more than the brightness itself. The conversation touches on the potential impact of artificial light on mood regulation and the importance of understanding the overall picture when it comes to sleep tracking and health monitoring devices. Attia also discusses the evolutionary perspective on our sensitivity to light and offers a more nuanced approach to managing nighttime light exposure.

[@bryanwoolworth9873]

Could either or both of you talk about restless leg syndrome? I suffer with this and it keeps me up walking the floor for hours overnight. Maybe bring on a specialist to discuss!!

[@blee4layout]

I wear my sunglasses at night🕶️

[@dabd8175]

Peter can't even make a green drink 😂. AG1 is below mid.

[@anitahernandez1207]

I just know that every night, I am going to be woken up by train horns. I don't understand why the city allows it other than making money, since trains transport goods across the nation 24/7. How do they expect children and babies and hard working people to sleep soundly? Sunlight is a given. The sun and moon are not the problem. True restful sleep should not be the sole responsibility of the citizen.

[@davefair2969]

I'm with you. I live near a fire hall and for some reason they light up the sirens even at 4 am when there's not a car on the road. I went and talked to them about it, it's a bit quieter now.

[@davefair2969]

Did you try a white noise machine? I bought one from the drug store and I find it cancels out a lot of the surprising noises at night. Best 40 bucks I spent in a while.

[@anitahernandez1207]

@@davefair2969 I thought about firefighters during this discussion. There have been government funded projects to help firefighters with their sleep cycles because of the type of work schedules they have. Sometimes it’s about perspective. Firefighters are viewed as heroic. Railroad engineers don’t have that reputation. There are issues and union battles going on right now. So at times, because many of those employees are being ignored, they will go out of their way to make sure the public knows they’re there, hoping enough people will complain. I’ve complained before, the problem wasn’t resolved. I think it’s cheaper to transport goods and machinery and car parts on rail than it is by plane. I still need to buy those earplugs. My buying earplugs will not help those railroad workers. It’ll only possibly help me and moving away would be even better.