Practice a deep relaxation or quiet rest break (such as NSDR or wakeful rest) immediately after learning an intellectual or physical skill to accelerate its memorization and cerebral consolidation.

noli's read

The concept of NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest) popularized by Andrew Huberman is scientifically akin to 'wakeful rest,' an extremely well-established field of study. A major meta-analysis by Weng et al. (2025) published in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review confirms that this stimulus-free break after learning significantly improves long-term memory. On the physical side, an experimental study by Humiston and Wamsley (2018) demonstrates that a 15-minute rest with eyes closed after a fine motor exercise greatly accelerates the assimilation of the movement. In neuroimaging, work such as that of Buch et al. (2021) reveals that the brain spontaneously reactivates at high speed the neural networks stimulated during the effort as soon as one enters a calm state. The only nuance concerns the protocol: there is no need for a specific or guided NSDR technique, as a simple moment of passive rest, eyes closed and without screens, offers exactly the same physiological benefits. In short, taking a break for calm after effort is a remarkably effective learning tool.

the sources

1. 1NIH Office of Dietary Supplements 2026
2. 2Manson JE et al. 2019
3. 3Bhatt DL et al. 2019
4. 4Khan SU, Lone AN, Khan MS, et al. 2021
5. 5Liao Y, Xie B, Zhang H, et al. 2019
6. 6hubermanprotocols.com (fan reference guide)