When you were a little kid, it probably felt like you sprung out of bed at 6 a.m., buzzing with energy—juice box in hand, cartoons on the TV, and ready to take on the day without a second thought. No coffee, no energy drinks, no melatonin gummies to knock you out the night before. Fast forward to adulthood, and it’s a different story. Smartphones light up your nightstands into the early hours, your brain refuses to power down, and suddenly, a triple shot of caffeine feels like the only way to function.
But according to Stanford neuroscientist and Huberman Lab podcast host Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., there’s one simple tool most of us are ignoring that can dramatically boost wakefulness and alertness throughout the day.
“These days, most people are not taking advantage of those early hours of the day to get outside and get bright light from sunlight or from a 10,000 lux artificial source,” he said.
Related: Andrew Huberman Reveals 1 Science-Backed Trick for Long-Lasting Focus and Motivation
Getting light first thing in the morning is something Huberman has emphasized time and time again. One study he often cites found that early exposure to bright light does two major things: It suppresses melatonin production, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep, and triggers an immediate spike in cortisol levels of more than 50 percent.
While a cortisol spike might sound like a bad thing, in this case, it’s exactly what you want. That early rise in cortisol helps boost alertness, sets the tone for your body’s natural energy rhythm, and can even counteract low daytime energy and ease certain symptoms of depression.
“So this thing about viewing bright light early in the morning…is it’s clinically significant with respect to mood, meaning you’re going to feel more energized, you’re going to feel better,” says Huberman.
