Waking up in the middle of the night and then lying there wide awake is a problem that can leave you dragging through the next day. It often gets worse the moment you start checking the clock and doing the math on how little sleep you have left. Neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman says there is a simple technique that, for some people, can make it easier to drift off again quickly. A short clip of him discussing the idea with Bill Maher has been making the rounds on social media again, putting the method back in the spotlight.
Huberman frames the trick as a practical example of how the body can influence the mind when you are stuck in a stressed, alert state. “We are now finally embracing the fact that the mind and body are connected, of course. That has been known for thousands of years,” he said. He also pointed to his research background while describing why he takes the idea seriously. “I have published clinical trials on some of these things, like the physiology of breathing, its role in stress and in relieving stress.”
The technique itself is straightforward and combines breathing with a specific type of eye movement. Huberman acknowledged that it will not work for everyone, but he argues it is worth trying because it is low effort and does not require any equipment. The core instruction is to change your exhale so it is longer than usual when you wake up and cannot fall back asleep. “If you wake up in the middle of the night and you have trouble falling back asleep, try exhaling longer than you normally would,” he explained.
He pairs that longer exhale with gentle side to side eye movements while your eyes stay closed. The idea is to keep your eyelids shut and move your eyes left and right underneath them while you continue those slow, extended exhales. “Keep your eyes closed and move them left to right under the lids, while simultaneously exhaling for a long time,” Huberman said. He also offered a time frame that makes the technique sound especially appealing to anyone staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m. “I cannot promise it, but I would bet that within about five minutes you will fall back asleep.”
Huberman insists this is not a mystical hack, but a basic physiology play that helps your nervous system downshift. He describes breathing and eye movements as two of the quickest levers you can pull when you want to reduce stress in the moment. Put simply, the method tries to move you away from that keyed up feeling and toward a calmer state that is more compatible with sleep. If you have ever noticed how a long sigh can make your shoulders drop, the logic is similar, just more intentional. It is also easy to do without turning on a light or grabbing your phone, which matters because stimulation can make it harder to settle down again.
Online reactions suggest the technique has resonated with plenty of people who deal with nighttime wake ups. Some commenters said they planned to test it the next time they woke up too early. Others claimed they had already tried it and were surprised by the results. “I tried this technique just this morning and it worked. I woke up too early and I usually have trouble falling back asleep. I did what he said and the next thing I remember is that I slept for two more hours,” one person wrote.
Not everyone described it as an instant off switch, but even those responses leaned positive. Another commenter kept it simple, saying, “I have been doing this lately and it really works!” A third person offered a more measured take that still captured why people like these kinds of tools when they feel restless. “I tried it. It is not like boom, I fell asleep, but your whole body kind of relaxes and it definitely helps,” they commented.
Even if you are skeptical, the two ingredients Huberman highlights have clear connections to sleep and arousal. Sleep is tightly linked to the balance between the sympathetic nervous system, which supports alertness, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which supports rest and digestion. Slower breathing and longer exhales are commonly associated with a shift toward parasympathetic activity, which many people experience as a calmer baseline. Eye movements are also deeply tied to brain state, since the systems that control gaze interact with attention, vigilance, and sleep stages. The technique is essentially a structured attempt to tell your body that the emergency is over, so your brain stops acting like it needs to stay on guard.
It is also worth remembering that quick tricks work best when the bigger sleep picture is not fighting you. Most sleep guidance still comes back to the fundamentals, like consistent sleep and wake times, a dark and cool room, and limiting bright light exposure when you wake at night. If you are repeatedly waking up and feeling wired, factors like stress, caffeine timing, alcohol, late heavy meals, and an inconsistent schedule can all contribute. Some people also deal with chronic insomnia patterns where the bed becomes a place of frustration, which can condition the body to feel alert at the very moment it should feel safe. In those cases, a simple technique may help sometimes, but broader sleep habits and professional support can be important too.
Sleep itself is not a single uniform state, but a cycle that moves through stages across the night, including non REM sleep and REM sleep. Waking briefly between cycles is common, but many people fall back asleep so fast they do not remember it. Trouble begins when a full awakening triggers worry, planning, or rumination, and that mental activation feeds physical arousal. That is why a body first approach can feel useful, because it gives you something neutral to do that does not involve problem solving. If you try Huberman’s method, keep it gentle and comfortable, and treat it as a calming routine rather than a test you have to pass.
If you have tried breathing based tricks or this eye movement method when you wake up at night, share what happened for you in the comments.
