I’m so excited to bring you this wonderful interview with Mr. Chu Zhu. He is the founder of a company called Somnus Lab, and they make an amazing mattress cooling sleep system to help you regulate your body temperature during sleep.

Chu is a scientifically sophisticated guest who explains some fascinating aspects of circadian rhythm and the hormonal processes governing sleep, including the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus—the “light control tower” in the brain—and the buildup of adenosine that creates sleep pressure. We talk about why outdoor light is such a powerful signal for your body clock, why indoor lighting doesn't come close to matching it, and how caffeine masks the buildup of adenosine rather than eliminating your need for sleep.

We then get into the surprising role of body temperature. You need to cool down to fall asleep, stay cool to stay asleep, and warm up to wake up. Chu explains the surprising reason a warm shower before bed can actually help lower your core temperature, why getting too cold can backfire, and why temperature regulation becomes increasingly challenging as we age.

I’ve also been beta testing the Somnus system myself, so we talk about how it can automatically regulate the temperature of your mattress throughout the night, customize each side of the bed, and track sleep without requiring you to wear a device. And if you’re someone who loves your sleep-tracking data, we have an important conversation about why more data isn't necessarily better.

This episode will make you think differently about what you're doing to get better sleep: we get into the technology, but also the general behaviors that can help us get things right—including the effects of caffeine and alcohol, how sensitive the body is, and how sometimes we can simply get out of the way. It’s a great reminder that getting better sleep and better health may be less complicated than we think.

TIMESTAMPS:

Chu discovered some surprising things when he got in to the sleep system technology research. [04:40]

Circadian rhythm is very important in regulating how we use sleeping time. [05:49]

The hypothalamus is the control center of the brain that receives the light and dark cycles governing our sleep cycles.  [07:33]

Caffeine is able to take the spot of the brain's receptor that is supposed to take in adensoine to tell you if you are tired. [08:30]

If we look at the evolutionary timelline, we see how the sunset and sunrise used to determine our sleep patterns, whereas now we have the lights and screens that don't allow these mechanisms to work naturally. [11:23]

Also the access to processed foods and sugars, the empty calories are causing problems nowadays. The difference between direct sunlight and the indoor blue light we are exposed to also makes a big difference. [12:16]

Every system in human body has a mechanism to pull it one way and the other way to push it so that you basically have a two-directional regulation system almost in every aspect. [16:35]

So the important thing to do in the morning is awaken naturally near sunrise and get some direct esxposure to light, and then know that in the evening is where most of the problems happen. [17:35]

Wearing blue screening glasses during the day is completely wrong. [19:16]

Body temperature and environmental temperature are very important parts of the ability to fall asleep. [21:23]

You need to cool down to fall asleep and you need to stay cool to stay asleep. You need to warm up to wake up. [23:31]

Take a warm shower which allows the body temperature to drop and then bed covers or pajamas keep your skin at a comfortable temperature, but it is really important to have the room or the mattress temperature promoting a drop in body temp. [28:13]

There are four sleep stages: preparation to sleep, deep sleep, then REM sleep and waking up stage. [32:37]

How do you determine whether you're getting these factors dialed in? Is it as simple as waking up and feeling alert and energized? [34:48]

The Somnus sleep system is simply a mattress cover like the protective cover you have on your mattress, that is filled with water that creates a cool sleeping environment. [37:27]

How does this Somnus monitor your sleep so that you have sleep data? [50:07]

LINKS:

• Brad Kearns.com
• BradNutrition.com
• B.rad Whey Protein Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet!
• B.rad Superdrink – Hydrates 28% Faster than Water—Creatine-Charged Hydration for Next-Level Power, Focus, and Recovery
• NEW: B.rad Real Rad Gummies - Creatine + Nootropics for Focus, Motivation, Performance, and Recovery!
• Brad’s Shopping Page
• BornToWalkBook.com
• B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
• Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
• Somnus Labs
• Lux, the measurement of light
• The Sleep Revolution
• Why We Sleep

We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you!

Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life:

Recover Faster: B.rad Superfuel helps with fat loss, longevity, immune function and athletic performance with a potent combo of grassfed whey protein and creatine. A five-star bestseller on Amazon, or order direct and save! Get 20% OFF your first order with code BRAD20

Strengthen Your Feet: Peluva five-toe minimalist shoes naturally strengthen and realign your feet to perform better, relieve pain, and achieve full functionality. Use code BRADPODCAST for 10% off

Online Education: Immersive learning to transform your diet in 21 days, endurance train the right way, prepare Paleo meals for the whole week, get started the right way the therapeutic cold exposure, and custom-design a morning movement routine. 

Somnus sleep system: An advanced, water-based mattress pad that uses intelligent, dual-zone temperature regulation to optimize your micro-climate for deeper, more restorative rest. Use code BRAD for $200 discount on SomnusLab.com

Drink Tmrw: Tmrw is a delicious daily longevity drink with 88 potent, clean ingredients  to support cellular nutrition, gut health and mitochondrial function. Use code BRAD for 25% off your first subscription month + free Welcome Kit AND an additional $10 off.

Clean Your Indoor Air!: The Jaspr Air Scrubber is an ultra high-performance, automatic-sensor unit that will address the often-disregarded health concern of indoor air quality. Save $200 on your unit with code BRAD

Explore B.rad Nutrition, online courses, and my favorite gear at: BradKearns.com/Shop

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