Trinsic
Sleep Lab
Rest as medicine
Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body. Every system that deteriorates with insufficient sleep is restored by sufficient sleep. This is not passive recovery — it is the foundation of everything else.
⚠ Educational content — not medical advice
Supplement recommendations are drawn from publicly available research and podcast content. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any supplement protocol, particularly if you take medications, have a medical condition, or are pregnant. Do not combine 5-HTP with SSRIs, MAOIs, or triptans.
01
The Architecture of Sleep
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Sleep Cycles
Sleep occurs in 90-minute cycles. A full night contains 4–6 cycles. Each cycle includes light sleep, deep sleep, and REM. Cutting sleep short loses disproportionately more REM, which occurs mostly in the final hours.
Deep Sleep (N3)
Slow-wave sleep dominates the first half of the night. This is when physical restoration occurs — tissue repair, immune function, growth hormone release, and memory consolidation of factual information.
REM Sleep
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep peaks in the second half of the night. Critical for emotional regulation, creativity, pattern recognition, and procedural memory. Alcohol severely suppresses REM even in small doses.
Circadian Rhythm
A 24-hour internal clock governed primarily by light. Morning light anchors the clock, triggering cortisol and setting the timer for melatonin release ~12–14 hours later. Consistency in wake time is the single most powerful lever.
Adenosine
A sleepiness chemical that builds throughout the day. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors — it doesn't clear adenosine, it hides it. Sleep clears adenosine. Delaying caffeine 90–120 min after waking allows your body to use cortisol first.
Core Temperature
The body must drop its core temperature by 1–3°F (0.5–1.5°C) to initiate and maintain sleep. Warming the skin (hot bath, warm feet) paradoxically accelerates this drop by moving heat to the surface. A cool room is essential.
02
The Daily Protocol
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Upon Waking — Same Time Every Day
Anchor Your Clock
Wake at the same time daily — including weekends. This is the single most impactful sleep behavior. Consistency in wake time stabilizes the circadian rhythm far more effectively than a consistent bedtime alone.
0–60 Min After Waking
Morning Light Exposure
Get 10–30 minutes of outdoor light exposure within 60 minutes of waking. No sunglasses. This activates melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells that set the circadian clock, trigger cortisol release, and establish the timer for melatonin onset that evening. On overcast days, aim for 20–30 min.
— Dr. Andrew Huberman, Huberman Lab
90–120 Min After Waking
First Caffeine
Delay your first coffee or tea until 90–120 minutes after waking. This allows the morning cortisol spike to do its natural alerting work. Caffeine taken immediately on waking blunts cortisol and leads to a more pronounced afternoon crash.
Morning or Afternoon
Exercise
Exercise at any time improves sleep quality, but morning exercise reinforces the circadian phase. Late evening vigorous exercise can delay sleep onset by elevating core temperature and cortisol. If only evenings work, finish at least 2–3 hours before bed.
Cutoff: 12–14 Hours After Waking
Last Caffeine
Caffeine has a half-life of 5–7 hours — and a quarter-life of 10–12 hours. A 2pm coffee means ~25% of the caffeine remains in your system at midnight. Cut off caffeine 12–14 hours before your target bedtime for most people; some need 10 hours.
Sunset / Evening
Dim the Lights
After sunset, switch to dim, low-placed, warm-spectrum lighting. Overhead bright lights signal daytime to the brain and suppress melatonin. Use floor lamps, candles, or amber bulbs. This is arguably more impactful than any supplement.
— Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep
3 Hours Before Bed
Last Meal & Alcohol Cutoff
Eating close to bed elevates core temperature and can disrupt sleep architecture. Alcohol, even at moderate doses, fragments sleep and devastates REM quality — it may feel sedating but produces light, disrupted sleep throughout the night.
30–60 Min Before Bed
Supplements + Wind-Down
Take your sleep stack 30–60 minutes before your target sleep time. Begin your wind-down protocol — consistent pre-sleep rituals powerfully signal the nervous system that sleep is approaching. See the Stack and Wind-Down sections below.
Sleep
Consistent Bedtime
Adults require 7–9 hours. Most people cannot learn to function well on less — they simply adapt to feeling worse. Protect your sleep window as a non-negotiable. If you can't fall asleep, leave the bed rather than lying awake (stimulus control).
03
The Supplement Stack
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★ The Huberman Foundation Stack
Start here. These three form the evidence-based core.
Magnesium Glycinate or Threonate
L-Theanine
Apigenin
● Tier I — Foundation
Magnesium Glycinate
Gentlest form. Ideal first choice.
200–400 mg elemental
30–60 min before bed
Activates GABA receptors, relaxes smooth muscle, reduces cortisol. Magnesium deficiency is extremely common and profoundly impairs sleep quality. Glycinate form is gentle on digestion and highly bioavailable.
Generally safe for most people. May cause loose stools at very high doses. Start at the lower end.
● Tier I — Foundation
Magnesium L-Threonate
Magtein® — crosses the blood-brain barrier.
1.5–2 g (≈144 mg elemental)
30–60 min before bed
Unlike most magnesium forms, threonate uniquely elevates brain magnesium levels. Shown to enhance synaptic plasticity, improve deep sleep architecture, and support cognitive restoration. Huberman's preferred form.
More expensive. Can use glycinate if cost is a concern — different mechanism but both beneficial.
● Tier I — Foundation
L-Theanine
The calm without the drowse.
100–200 mg
30–60 min before bed
An amino acid found in green tea that increases alpha brain wave activity — the same state as relaxed, wakeful awareness. Reduces anxiety and promotes sleep onset without causing grogginess. Pairs synergistically with magnesium.
Do not use if you experience vivid dreams or lucid dreaming you find disruptive — some people report this. Huberman occasionally cycles off for this reason.
● Tier I — Foundation
Apigenin
Chamomile extract. 50 mg = many cups of tea.
50 mg
30–60 min before bed
A bioflavonoid that binds to GABA-A receptors with mild benzodiazepine-like activity (without the dependency risk). Reduces cortisol, promotes calm, and modestly extends sleep duration. Part of Huberman's core nightly stack.
Avoid long-term daily use if pregnant or trying to conceive — apigenin may affect estrogen metabolism. Generally safe for most adults.
◈ Tier II — Targeted
Melatonin
Lower doses than most products suggest.
0.5–1 mg
30–45 min before target sleep
Melatonin is a timing signal, not a sedative. It tells the brain it's night — it doesn't put you to sleep. Standard doses of 5–10 mg are pharmacological overdoses. 0.5 mg is physiological. Use for jet lag, shift work, or occasional circadian disruption — not nightly.
Avoid nightly reliance. The 10 mg doses sold in pharmacies can suppress your body's own melatonin production over time.
◈ Tier II — Targeted
Inositol
For those who wake in the night.
900 mg
At bedtime
A naturally occurring sugar alcohol involved in serotonin and insulin signaling. Particularly effective for middle-of-the-night waking. Also supports mood and reduces anxiety. Huberman added it specifically for this purpose.
Well tolerated. High doses (many grams) may cause GI upset. 900 mg is the studied sleep dose.
◈ Tier II — Targeted
Ashwagandha
KSM-66 or Sensoril extract preferred.
300–600 mg
Evening or before bed
An adaptogenic herb clinically shown to reduce cortisol and lower morning stress hormones. Particularly useful for stress-driven insomnia. Benefits compound over 4–8 weeks of consistent use. Best for high-cortisol, wired-but-tired presentations.
Cycle 8 weeks on, 2–4 weeks off. Avoid in autoimmune conditions without guidance. May affect thyroid hormones at high doses.
⚠ Tier III — Advanced / Use with Caution
5-HTP
Serotonin precursor → melatonin pathway.
50–100 mg
With evening meal or before bed
5-Hydroxytryptophan crosses the blood-brain barrier and converts to serotonin, which then converts to melatonin. Can support sleep quality and mood. More effective when taken with a small carbohydrate meal. Some practitioners recommend pairing with EGCG (green tea extract) to minimize peripheral conversion.
⚠ CRITICAL: Do NOT combine with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, or triptans — risk of serotonin syndrome. Cycle: 5 days on, 2 days off. Consult your doctor if on any psychiatric medication.
⚠ Tier III — Advanced / Use with Caution
GABA
The brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter.
500–750 mg
30–60 min before bed
GABA is the primary calming neurotransmitter. Oral GABA's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier is debated — some research suggests negligible penetration, while other studies show modest benefits on sleep latency and quality, possibly via gut-brain axis effects.
Mixed evidence on efficacy. Well tolerated. May produce tingling or temporary blood pressure changes at high doses. Avoid with benzodiazepines or alcohol.
04
Sleep Environment
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Temperature
65–68°F / 18–20°C
The single most impactful environmental variable. A cool room facilitates the core temperature drop needed to initiate sleep. Use a fan, open window, or cooling mattress pad. Warm feet help heat dissipate from the body's surface — cooling you faster.
Darkness
Total darkness preferred
Even small amounts of light during sleep — through eyelids — suppress melatonin and impair sleep quality. Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask. Remove or cover any LED indicators in the bedroom. Red/amber light is far less disruptive than blue or white.
Sound
Quiet or consistent masking noise
Sudden sounds are more disruptive than constant ones. The brain continues monitoring for threats during sleep. White noise, pink noise, or brown noise creates a consistent acoustic backdrop that masks sudden sounds. Avoid highly variable audio (podcasts, TV).
Devices
Bedroom = sleep only
The bed should be associated only with sleep (and intimacy). Working, watching screens, or scrolling in bed creates a conditioned association between the bed and wakefulness. If you can't sleep after 20–25 min, get up, go to a dim room, and return when sleepy.
Mattress & Pillow
Spinal alignment throughout
Sleep position matters less than spinal alignment within your chosen position. Replace mattresses every 7–10 years. A pillow that keeps the cervical spine neutral reduces morning pain. Side sleepers may benefit from a pillow between the knees.
Pre-Sleep Bath
Hot bath 1–2 hours before bed
Counterintuitively, a hot bath or shower before bed accelerates sleep onset. Heat draws blood to the skin, radiating core body heat outward — dropping core temperature faster once you cool down. Research shows it reduces sleep onset latency by up to 36%.
05
Wind-Down Protocol
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60 min
Dim Every Light
Switch off overhead lights. Move to floor lamps, candles, or amber-spectrum bulbs. This is not preference — it is physiology. Bright overhead light at 10pm tells your brain it is midday.
60 min
Take Your Stack
Magnesium, L-theanine, apigenin — and any other chosen supplements. Consistency matters more than perfection. The body responds to predictable signals.
45 min
Warm Bath or Shower
10–15 minutes in warm water. This begins the core temperature drop that signals the onset of sleep. Add magnesium flakes to the bath for transdermal absorption and additional relaxation.
30 min
Screen-Free Winding
Read (physical book), journal, gentle stretching, or simply sit. The goal is low mental arousal. Avoid anything stimulating — news, social media, or content that generates anxiety. Your nervous system needs this deceleration.
10 min
Deliberate Breathing
Physiological sigh (double inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth) repeated 5–10 times. Or 4-7-8 breathing. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system and measurably lowers heart rate. See Pranayama.
Bed
Into the Dark
Room cool, dark, quiet. Phone outside the room or on do-not-disturb. If thoughts race, keep a notepad by the bed to offload tomorrow's concerns. If you cannot sleep after 25 minutes, get up briefly rather than lying awake — this protects the sleep-bed association.