During his recent appearance on the Huberman Lab podcast, Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray, a professor of neurology at Stanford School of Medicine and expert in aging research, addressed the topic of sunglasses and light exposure in the context of health and longevity.
The discussion arose when host Dr. Andrew Huberman brought up recent research on sunlight exposure and lifespan. Huberman referenced a large-scale Swedish study showing that people with more sunlight exposure lived longer, even finding that smokers who received sufficient sunlight appeared to live longer on average than non-smokers who lacked adequate sun exposure.
Coray then raised concerns about widespread sunglasses use in America. “There’s a lot of people in this country have shades, right? They wear dark glasses all day long. This is so bad for your brain.”
Huberman agreed, saying: “And for your mental health.” He cited research involving over 80,000 subjects from a UK study.
According to this research, brighter days, ideally from sunlight, combined with darker nights, reduced susceptibility to every mental health condition studied. The findings also showed that individuals with existing mental health conditions experienced improvement with this light exposure pattern.
Dr. Wyss-Coray responded by drawing a connection to geographic patterns and mood. “Aren’t people in the south happier? You know, in Europe, if you look sort of, they enjoy life more. They have more food. They sit together. They have fun. And the more north you go, the more serious and the more depression you [see],” he observed.
He shared his personal experience growing up in Switzerland, where short winter days and frequent fog made mornings difficult, contrasting this with California’s abundant sunshine that makes starting the day easier. “I love the sun,” Wyss-Coray added.
Andrew Huberman has previously launched his own line of glasses. In late 2024, Huberman unveiled a collaboration with ROKA to sell $165 non-prescription red-lens “Wind Down” glasses.
These were marketed as tools to reduce short-wavelength light exposure at night, support melatonin production, and help regulate cortisol. The glasses claim to filter blue and other short wavelengths to improve sleep quality.
While circadian disruption can influence cortisol rhythms, the direct link between brief nighttime light exposure and significant fasting glucose elevation remains inconclusive. Sleep, stress, diet, and metabolic health play much larger roles in glucose regulation than light exposure alone.
