Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman recommends a brief eye-movement routine to fall back asleep and a warm shower 30–60 minutes before bed to speed initial sleep onset. Both are low-effort, free, and supported by clinical reasoning and clinician commentary, though not guaranteed cures for insomnia or medical sleep disorders.
Taking a hot shower or bath 30–60 minutes before bedtime can trigger a compensatory drop in core body temperature that promotes sleep onset.
Both techniques are low-risk, easy to try in the dark, and are especially relevant for women over 50 whose sleep is more fragmented due to aging and hormonal shifts.
# What the story says
# Huberman's 30‑second eye movement trick for 3 a.m. wake‑ups Do this without leaving the pillow and with your eyes closed:
Who might benefit: Women over 50 are highlighted because normal aging and hormonal changes make sleep more fragmented and increase the chance of waking in lighter sleep stages. The trick helped the article's writer after years of menopause‑related insomnia, though results can vary.
# The warm‑shower trick to fall asleep faster Huberman's second protocol aims to speed the initial transition to sleep by manipulating body temperature. The sequence is simple: take a hot shower or bath 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
How it helps: Warming the skin—especially hands and feet—promotes vasodilation and peripheral heat loss. The body compensates by lowering core temperature, and the nightly decline in core temperature is tied to melatonin release and sleep onset. Clinicians in the story (Allie Buttarazzi, MD) note the approach still works for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, including those who experience night sweats, because the vasodilation facilitates heat release.
Practical tips: Time the shower or bath so the compensatory cooling happens as you get into bed. Avoid very late or very cold exposures that interfere with your normal wind‑down routine.
# Cautions and context
# Bottom line Try the eye‑movement sequence if you wake and can't fall back asleep—it's quick, silent, and requires no equipment. Use a 30–60 minute pre‑bed hot shower or bath to encourage the natural drop in core temperature that helps you fall asleep. Both techniques are simple first steps to test before pursuing medical assessment when sleep problems persist.
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