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Huberman Lab Clips - 10 Minute Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) to Restore Mental & Physical Energy | Dr. Andrew Huberman

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Author: Huberman Lab Clips
Categories: Health
Tags: health
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 16:08 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Practice a 10-minute non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) protocol, done seated or lying down with eyes closed, to restore mental and physical vigor at any time of day or night. The protocol uses slow exhale breathing and a mental "spotlight" that moves through the body, which Huberman says helps relax the nervous system. The speaker says it can also partially offset poor sleep and help with falling and staying asleep.

Key Points

  • The protocol relies on a breathing pattern: inhale deeply through the nose (or mouth if the nose isn't possible), then exhale completely through thinly pursed lips, which the speaker says is known to slow heart rate and relax the nervous system.
  • Attention is used as the main tool: you direct a mental spotlight to specific body parts, starting at the feet and moving upward, then back down, to control which sensations you perceive.
  • Each body region is relaxed by imagining it sinking about a centimeter into the surface it touches; the spotlight is dimmed only at the very end, during the final full-body step.
  • The speaker says the practice can help restore vigor, partially offset insufficient sleep, and improve the ability to fall and stay asleep.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions:
    • Get into a seated or lying position and close your eyes before starting.
    • Breathe normally unless told otherwise. For the breathing pattern, inhale deeply through the nose (or mouth), then exhale fully through thinly pursed lips as if through a small straw, repeating the pattern a few times as instructed.
    • Imagine standing over your body with a flashlight or spotlight aimed at your feet. Focus on whatever the feet contact (socks, shoes, sandals, or air), noticing any sensation such as tingling or numbness.
    • Widen the spotlight to include the tops of the feet, shins, calves, thighs, hamstrings, and up to the waist. Take a deep breath in and a full exhale through thinly pursed lips, repeating two more times, imagining the lower body sinking about a centimeter each exhale.
    • Move the spotlight to the abdomen: the stomach should rise slightly on inhale and fall on exhale. Expand to the upper abdomen, chest, neck, and arms.
    • Shift attention to the back's points of contact with the surface behind you, then do one more deep breath with the body sinking about a centimeter.
    • Move the spotlight to the face, top and back of the head, relax the face muscles, and gradually lengthen the exhales slightly.
    • Expand the spotlight down the whole body to the feet, then deliberately dim it. Take a final deep breath and full exhale through thinly pursed lips, imagining the whole body sinking into the surface.
    • To finish, gently move the toes, ankles, knees, upper body, head, and hands, then slowly open the eyes.
    • The protocol can be used any time of day or night when you need a mental or physical reset.
  • The speaker frames the practice as a way to control your own perceptions by directing attention, since normal life floods the nervous system with (mostly visual) sensory input.
  • The speaker describes the protocol's benefits as partial offsets to poor sleep rather than replacements for it; these are the speaker's claims, not medical advice.

Bottom Line

A short, low-effort attention-and-breathing routine is presented as a practical way to reset energy and relaxation during the day or at night, with the main benefit being greater control over the nervous system through focused awareness.