The basics matter most
After analyzing hundreds of recommendations from six leading experts, the interventions with the strongest evidence are remarkably simple: consistent sleep, morning light exposure, regular exercise, and not eating late. The "biohacking" interventions have much weaker support.
Sources we track
Andrew Huberman
Stanford neuroscientist
Peter Attia
Longevity physician
Rhonda Patrick
Biomedical researcher
Matthew Walker
Sleep researcher, UC Berkeley
Satchin Panda
Circadian biologist, Salk Institute
David Sinclair
Geneticist, Harvard Medical
We chose these six because they hold academic positions, cite primary research, explain their reasoning, and update their views when evidence changes. We previously included Bryan Johnson but removed him—while his self-experimentation is interesting, he lacks the research credentials of the others.
What the experts agree on
Recommendations that appear across 4+ sources with consistent research support
Sleep is foundational
Strong evidenceThe consensus: 7-9 hours of sleep, with consistency in timing mattering as much as duration. All six experts emphasize sleep as foundational to energy, cognition, and health.
Practical recommendations
- • Same wake time daily (±30 minutes), including weekends
- • 7-9 hours opportunity for sleep
- • Cool room: 65-68°F (18-20°C)
- • Dark room: blackout curtains or eye mask
Key sources:
• Huberman Lab Episode #2: Master Your Sleep
• Walker's interviews on The Drive (Episodes #47, #58, #127)
• AASM/SRS Consensus Statement: Adults should sleep 7+ hours for optimal health
Morning light exposure
Strong evidenceThe consensus: Get bright light (ideally sunlight) in your eyes within 30-90 minutes of waking. Huberman, Attia, Patrick, and Walker all emphasize this for circadian regulation.
Practical recommendations
- • Go outside within an hour of waking (cloudy days still work)
- • 10-30 minutes of exposure
- • Don't wear sunglasses during this time
- • If indoor-bound, use a 10,000 lux light box
Key sources:
• Huberman's Using Light for Health protocol
• Patrick's episode on light, temperature, and sleep
• Blume et al. (2019): Effects of light on circadian rhythms, sleep and mood
Regular exercise
Very strong evidenceThe consensus: All six experts recommend regular physical activity. This is one of the most robust findings in health research.
Practical recommendations
- • Minimum: 150 min moderate or 75 min vigorous per week
- • Mix cardio and resistance training
- • Consistency matters more than optimization
- • Something is dramatically better than nothing
Key sources:
• Attia's Exercising for Longevity framework (Episode #206)
• Patrick's strength training and cardio routine
• WHO Guidelines (2020): 150-300 min moderate or 75-150 min vigorous per week
• Arem et al. (2015): Pooled analysis of 661,137 participants on exercise and mortality
Avoid late eating
Moderate evidenceThe consensus: Eating close to bedtime impairs sleep quality and next-day energy. Huberman, Attia, Patrick, Panda, and Walker recommend finishing eating 2-3 hours before bed.
Practical recommendations
- • Finish eating 2-3 hours before bed
- • Earlier dinner generally better than later
- • If eating late is unavoidable, keep it light
Key sources:
• Panda's time-restricted eating research (FoundMyFitness)
• Patrick's practical implementation interview with Panda
Caffeine timing
Moderate evidenceThe consensus: Stop caffeine 8-10 hours before bedtime. The morning delay recommendation (see disagreements below) is more contested.
Practical recommendations
- • No caffeine after early afternoon (exact time depends on bedtime)
- • Individual caffeine sensitivity varies significantly
Where experts disagree
Areas where our tracked sources have different recommendations
The 90-minute caffeine delay
Huberman: Wait 90-120 minutes after waking before caffeine to avoid afternoon crash. (Toolkit for Sleep)
Attia: Less emphatic; focuses more on afternoon cutoff than morning timing.
Our take: Extrapolated from adenosine research but not directly tested in RCTs. Worth trying if you experience afternoon crashes.
Cold exposure
Huberman: Strong advocate for deliberate cold exposure for dopamine and alertness.
Attia: Acknowledges potential benefits but less enthusiastic about the evidence base.
Our take: The acute alertness effect is real. Long-term metabolic benefits are less certain. Try it if curious; don't feel obligated.
Supplement protocols
Vitamin D, Omega-3
Most experts agree (if deficient)
NMN, Resveratrol
Sinclair enthusiastic, Attia skeptical
Our take: Vitamin D (if deficient) and Omega-3s have strong consensus. Longevity supplements remain speculative—see Sinclair's Huberman Lab appearance for his perspective.
Understanding evidence quality
Not all recommendations carry the same weight. Here's how we categorize evidence:
Multiple RCTs, consistent epidemiology, clear mechanisms
Examples: Sleep 7-9 hours, regular exercise
Some RCTs, strong observational data, plausible mechanisms
Examples: Morning light, time-restricted eating
Limited RCTs, interesting observational data
Examples: Caffeine delay, specific supplement doses
Expert opinion, mechanistic reasoning, limited human data
Examples: Many longevity interventions
Primary sources
The experts and research we track for this guide
Huberman Lab
hubermanlab.com
The Drive (Peter Attia)
peterattiamd.com
FoundMyFitness (Rhonda Patrick)
foundmyfitness.com
Why We Sleep (Matthew Walker)
Book, 2017
Satchin Panda Lab
Salk Institute
Sinclair Lab
Harvard Medical School
Key research cited
- Watson et al. (2015) — AASM/SRS consensus on adult sleep duration
- WHO (2020) — Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour
- Arem et al. (2015) — Leisure time physical activity and mortality (n=661,137)
- Blume et al. (2019) — Effects of light on circadian rhythms, sleep and mood
- Tähkämö et al. (2019) — Systematic review of light exposure impact on circadian rhythm
Change log
- January 2026: Added specific episode citations and research links. Replaced Bryan Johnson with Satchin Panda. Added Walker and Sinclair source links.
- January 2026: Initial publication tracking 6 experts