A protocol is defined as a structured methodology to overcome difficulties and achieve a specific goal. This characteristic makes the book 'Protocols: An Operational Manual for the Human Body,' recently released by Intrínseca, extremely appealing. Written by Andrew Huberman, a neuroscience professor at Stanford University and host of the popular Huberman Lab podcast, the work is divided into seven areas: sleep, physical exercise, stress management, nutrition, light, focus, motivation, and learning, and personal development. It serves as a guide rich in scientific information but focused primarily on applicable solutions.
Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, a professor at Stanford Medical School and author of the book, emphasizes that no medication replaces the importance of physical activity, quality sleep, and stress management, stating that it is not necessary to acquire expensive products to start improving quality of life. He argues that by understanding the nervous system, remarkable skills can be developed. However, the aspect that caught the author's attention the most was the choice to anchor the book in sleep, as he argues that it affects all aspects of human physiology and psychology, being the foundation for physical, mental health, and performance.
Due to the volume of almost 600 pages in the work, the article chose to detail the topics of sleep and stress, which are major concerns for most people. For the topic of sleep, the neuroscientist outlined 15 protocols, some of which were selected for summary:
- Sunlight Exposure: It is recommended to expose your eyes to natural light in the first 30 to 60 minutes after waking up, avoiding looking directly at the sun. This first step initiates several beneficial processes that keep the body and brain functioning during the day.
- Sunset Sunlight: Spending ten to fifteen minutes outdoors before sunset helps mitigate the negative effects of nighttime artificial light exposure.
- Ideal Sleep Routine: A study involving 700,000 individuals demonstrated a causal link between being a diurnal person and having better mental health. The professor suggests trying to sleep at 10 PM to wake up refreshed at 6 AM or earlier. He emphasizes that adequate REM sleep is linked to longevity, while its deficiency increases mortality risks. REM sleep, which occurs in the final phase of the sleep cycle, is characterized by rapid eye movements, intense dreams, and high brain activity, being crucial for memory, learning, and emotional regulation. Huberman proposes techniques such as 'mental walking'—imagining walking from bed to the door and back—to distract a racing mind and interrupt rumination.
- Nighttime Body Temperature: It is advisable to keep the environment at a low temperature, between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius. It should be easy to remove feet and hands from the blanket, as extremities aid in body cooling, and wearing socks is discouraged to avoid interrupting this process.
- Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR): This is a guided relaxation that involves breathing with an intentionally prolonged exhalation and systematically directing attention from one part of the body to another, from near to far.
- Sleeping Medications: Caution should be exercised with controlled sleeping medications, as they have side effects and interfere with sleep architecture and glymphatic function, responsible for eliminating neurotoxic metabolic byproducts from the central nervous system. Cognitive behavioral therapy is suggested to combat insomnia.
- Caffeine: Consumption times must be adjusted, avoiding intake eight to ten hours before going to bed.
- Alcohol: Alcohol consumption must be avoided for at least eight hours before sleeping, as it suppresses REM sleep during the first half of the night and delays reaching other REM cycles.
- Electronic Screens: It is recommended to avoid screen exposure for at least one hour before sleeping. It is possible to decrease brightness or activate night mode on cell phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs, or use glasses that filter blue and green light.
The neuroscientist describes stress as nature's way of seeking a universal solution for all situations, maintaining that the basic structure of the response is always the same. The recommended strategy is to calibrate the autonomic nervous system so that the stress level corresponds to the stimulus faced, varying from mild to intense, and from brief to continuous.
For moments of crisis, several guidelines were offered:
- Physiological Sighs: Perform one to three deep physiological sighs: inhale deeply through the nose until the lungs are full (with abdominal expansion), inhale sharply a second time through the nose to maximize lung capacity, and then exhale slowly through the mouth until completely empty. This pattern should be repeated at least three consecutive times.
- Deliberate Cold Exposure: Use cold exposure, whether in a cold shower or ice bath, to increase stress tolerance. This can be done in timed sessions (one to three minutes) or by counting 'adrenaline walls'—staying in the cold despite the urge to leave. An alternative is cyclical hyperventilation, performed for three to five minutes, consisting of a long and vigorous inhalation through the nose and passive exhalation through the mouth.
- NSDR in Long Sessions: Apply non-sleep deep rest, detailed above, in sessions ranging from ten to thirty minutes, being particularly useful during periods of prolonged stress.
- Morning Micro-Meditation: Practice a five-minute micro-meditation right after getting up and going to the bathroom. Sit or lie down and remain as still as possible, focusing on breathing, observing mental deviations, and redirecting focus to slow inhales and exhales through the nose.
- Increase in Cortisol and Catecholamines: Potentiate the morning peak of cortisol and catecholamines by combining three to four activities, such as sun exposure, hydration with half to one liter of water, moderate caffeine consumption in the first two hours of the day, morning exercise, or adherence to one of the cold exposure protocols.
