Sleep is the Foundation: My Interview with Sam, Founder of Oak Sleep (Australia’s Subscription-Free Sleep Tech Challenger)

By Rob Van der Moigg, Founder of Life X DNA®

Sleep is finally getting the attention it deserves, and not a moment too soon.

Here in Australia, demand is growing for high-performance recovery, smarter wellness, and real-world results. For years, the sleep tech space has been dominated by premium brands, often with subscription models and price tags that push serious optimisation out of reach for most people.

That is why I was genuinely interested when I came across Oak Sleep, a bootstrapped Melbourne company on a mission to make sleep optimisation intelligent, affordable, and subscription-free, while continuing to innovate right here in Australia.

I sat down with Sam, Founder of Oak Sleep, to unpack what actually drives poor sleep in high performers, why temperature is such a powerful lever, and what “better sleep” really looks like when you are busy, stressed, and running hot at night.

The Interview

If you had to explain the importance of sleep in one sentence, what would you say, and why is it often underestimated compared to diet and exercise?

Sam:
Sleep is the foundation to our body’s operation. If you remove it, or abuse it, the body fails.

It’s underestimated because you can see and consciously act on diet and exercise, but you only feel your sleep failing after the fact, when it’s too late. You can’t consciously be proactive about your sleep as it’s happening.

In your experience, what are the most common “hidden” drivers of poor sleep in high-performing people?

Sam:
The big ones I see are running too hot at night (hint: OAK SLEEP), poor sleep discipline and hygiene, overstimulated nervous systems, and food intake too close to sleep.
High performers often think they have a “sleep problem” when they actually have a sleep discipline problem, temperature problem, or a stress-regulation problem.

If someone only makes one change tonight that improves sleep quality without effort or willpower, what should it be?

Sam:
Given we’re in the middle of summer, try to avoid eating within three hours of bedtime and consume chilled water throughout the day. It helps bring your core temperature down before sleep, which makes a noticeable difference on these hotter nights. It’s also an immediate and $0 cost change to your routine.

What role does sleep play in long-term health outcomes like metabolic health, hormone balance, immune resilience, mental health, and longevity? And which of these do you think people are most at risk of ignoring?

Sam:
I’m not a doctor, so this is based on my own research rather than medical advice. Sleep underpins everything you mentioned. It’s the foundation the whole system runs on. All those health outcomes are interconnected, and they only work well when the foundation is solid. Support the foundation, and everything else has a better chance of falling into place.

From a biohacking perspective, what are the best ways to objectively measure whether someone’s sleep is improving?

Sam:
Look at HRV, resting heart rate, sleep efficiency, and morning energy. If HRV is climbing, RHR is dropping, and you wake up feeling stable and clear, your sleep is improving, regardless of what the “deep sleep minutes” say.
Keep in mind, not all biometric measuring wearables are equal!

What’s your view on the difference between “more sleep” and “better sleep”?

Sam:
More sleep is time in bed. Better sleep is how restorative that time actually is. If you’re busy, prioritise quality first, deep sleep and stable temperature, because an efficient 7 hours beats a fragmented 8.

One thing people often overlook is how easily a busy schedule can derail their sleep routine. Protect your sleep discipline the same way you’d protect any other non-negotiable. Don’t let busy dictate your nights and damage your health.

Temperature and sleep are a huge focus in modern sleep optimisation. Can you explain why body temperature matters so much, and what you’ve learned about it through Oak Sleep’s product development?

Sam:
Without giving away the secrets, your core body temperature has to drop for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. It’s one of the strongest biological levers we have.

The Oak Sleep journey showed me just how sensitive people are to micro-changes in temperature. Even a 1 to 2°C shift can make or break deep sleep.

The best part is that your core temperature naturally drops on its own, no medication needed. Oak Sleep simply supports that process in a really straightforward, natural way.

If you were designing the perfect sleep routine for a busy professional who also trains, works long hours, and wants better recovery, what would it look like from morning to bedtime?

Sam:
Morning: Get sunlight within 10 minutes, have a glass of water, exercise, and hold off on caffeine for 60 to 90 minutes.
Day: Cut caffeine around midday and avoid big late meals.
Evening: Keep lights dim (yellows and reds are best), reduce stimulation, keep the room cool, and have a simple repetitive wind-down routine. Aim for your last meal about three hours before bed.
Bedtime: Cool your sleep environment, keep social tech out of the bedroom, breathe, and let temperature do the heavy lifting.

At the end of the day, it’s all discipline. The more consistently you follow it, the better the results. You only get out what you put in.

Australia, Innovation, and Making Sleep Tech Accessible

Oak Sleep is a bootstrapped Melbourne company with one clear purpose: make intelligent sleep technology affordable and subscription-free.

Sam describes the mission simply:

“We’re not perfect, but we offer exceptional value, and we’re committed to continuing to innovate here in Australia, and drive the cost of this technology down over time.”

In a category often associated with premium pricing and recurring payments, Oak Sleep represents a new direction. Australian-made innovation that prioritises practicality, accessibility, and better sleep outcomes without unnecessary friction.

Key Takeaways (My Perspective)

• Sleep is the foundation. When it collapses, everything else follows.

• Many “sleep problems” are actually temperature, routine, or nervous system regulation problems.

• A simple summer fix: avoid eating within 3 hours of bed and stay hydrated with chilled water to support core temperature drop.

• For tracking progress, focus on HRV, resting heart rate, sleep efficiency, and morning energy more than isolated deep sleep scores.

• Better sleep beats more sleep, especially when busy. Efficient 7 hours can outperform a disrupted 8.

• Temperature is one of the strongest biological levers we have, and small shifts matter.

• A high-performing routine is simple: sunlight early, caffeine timing, meal timing, dim evenings, cool room, and discipline.

Stay informed, stay healthy

Rob Van der Moigg – Founder, Life X DNA®