A writer tried a brief, closed-eye eye-movement sequence shared by Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and found it helped her fall back asleep. Here’s exactly how to do it, why Huberman says it works, what sleep specialists think, and who might benefit most.
Huberman says the eye movements may reduce proprioceptive input that keeps you aware of body position, helping the brain stop tracking limbs and fall back asleep.
Sleep clinicians call the technique low-risk, easy to try, and potentially helpful because it gives a simple repetitive focus and engages a calming exhale.
The trick appears especially relevant for people with middle-of-the-night awakenings, and the article’s author reports repeated success after years of insomnia.
# What the hack is and how to do it Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman described a short eye-movement exercise intended to help you fall back asleep after waking in the night. It takes roughly 30 seconds and is done with your eyes closed, while still in bed.
The writer who tried this reported thinking it initially failed, then waking at morning with her alarm — she concluded the exercise had worked. She says it helped across multiple nights, though not every single time.
# Huberman's explanation of why it might help Huberman links the effect to proprioceptive circuits in the cerebellum. Proprioception is your brain's continuous tracking of limb and body position. He suggests the eye-movement pattern temporarily shuts down those circuits so you stop thinking about body position, which can accelerate falling back asleep.
# What sleep specialists say Two sleep clinicians quoted in the story describe the technique as reasonable to try because it's free, low effort, and low risk. Their main points:
# Who might benefit most The piece highlights the hack as particularly suitable for people who wake in the middle of the night and want a quick in-bed method to fall back asleep. The author frames it as especially relevant to women over 50, noting her own years of menopause-related insomnia and prior attempts with numerous other strategies.
# Practical notes and context
# Bottom line
If you’ve been staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m. again wondering why sleep keeps slipping away, you’re in very good company. Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, PhD, has two simple sleep tricks that could change your nights. Both are free, take only minutes and are grounded in real science. Huberman, who has publis
We know the things we should be doing to improve our health, but we don’t always know why they’re good for us. On his popular podcast, neuroscientist and Stanford professor Andrew Huberman, PhD, explores the why behind today’s latest health solutions. And with his new book Protocols, he’s created a one-stop guide to th
It’s not a nap or chugging more coffee.
The neuroscientist says moving your closed eyes can help you drift off after waking at night. Researchers say it may promote relaxation, but the proposed mechanism is unproven.
A 'wellness snack' a day keeps the insomnia away.
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