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At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Why Winter Increases Colds: Nasal Breathing, Humidity, and Proximity Explained
- Andrew Huberman answers a listener question about why colds and flus are more common in winter, emphasizing that it is a real, well-documented seasonal effect.
- He explains that shorter days, colder temperatures, and increased time indoors raise transmission risk through closer physical proximity and drier indoor air.
- Huberman highlights the critical defensive role of the nasal passages and argues for nasal breathing and sufficient air humidity, especially at night, to bolster resistance.
- He previews future content on colds/flus and on cold exposure and Wim Hof–style breathing, hinting that these tools can be protective in some contexts but harmful if misapplied when already sick.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasWinter Increases Illness Risk Mainly Through Behavior and Environment, Not Just Temperature
Peer-reviewed data clearly show higher prevalence of colds and flus in winter, largely because shorter days and colder weather push people indoors. Indoors, people are closer together and share air in enclosed spaces, which significantly raises transmission rates compared with being further apart or outside.
Closer Physical Proximity Dramatically Raises Transmission Probability
Lab studies with consenting participants show a strong distance–risk relationship: standing 1 foot away from a sick person is much riskier than 3 or 6 feet. Any additional contact—handshakes, hugs, kissing, or touching contaminated surfaces—further increases the likelihood of catching a cold or flu, especially when the sick person is sneezing, coughing, wiping eyes, or using tissues without washing hands.
Dry Indoor Air Compromises Nasal Defenses
Heated indoor air in winter is typically very dry, and this dries out the nasal mucosa. Since the nose is a primary defense site—with hairs, mucus, and a protective microbiome trapping and neutralizing pathogens—drying it out makes viral, bacterial, and fungal infections more likely to penetrate deeper into the body.
Nasal Breathing Is a Major Protective Habit
Deliberately breathing through the nose whenever possible (except during eating, speaking, or very hard exercise) supports the nasal barrier system. Research shows that habitual mouth breathers have significantly higher prevalence of allergies and respiratory illnesses and take more medication, reinforcing that nasal breathing confers measurable health advantages.
Humidify the Air You Breathe, Especially at Night
Using a humidifier in the bedroom and, if feasible, in key indoor spaces helps maintain moist nasal passages and healthier respiratory pathways. This doesn’t prevent exposure if someone is actively sneezing or coughing nearby, but it can make your system more capable of resisting or mitigating infections you’re already fighting off.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesAny time someone is sneezing or coughing, they are in fact contagious.
— Andrew Huberman
The nasal passages represent a primary site of defense for viral infections, like colds and flus.
— Andrew Huberman
Oral breathing is related to a significantly higher prevalence of allergies and a significantly more likely getting sick and taking medication for being sick.
— Andrew Huberman (quoting study)
Fever is an adaptation designed to destroy viruses.
— Andrew Huberman
There’s actually not many things ruder than someone who knows that they’re sick showing up to something because they didn’t want to miss that particular event and getting everybody else sick.
— Andrew Huberman
High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.
