How To Wind Down For Bedtime
These Totally Different but Equally Effective Bedtime Routines Will Have You Rethinking Yours
The way you wind down for bedtime is as individual as your daily hustle. Whether it’s about silencing your never-ending to-do list, prepping for a major life change, or signaling to your hardworking body that it’s time to let go and relax, there’s no one-size-fits-all routine. To prove it, three POPSUGAR staffers are revealing the tried-and-true nighttime rituals that work for them. Spoiler: they all have one thing in common!
The Evening Exerciser
For Lynne Lavelle, a good night’s sleep starts with an evening workout. “I’m a runner and a Pilates fan who likes to alternate between both, so I work out most nights,” she says. “Morning workouts just aren’t an option for me. I walk my dog for at least 20 minutes, and I don’t feel energized enough first thing.”
After a run around the park or a session on the mat, Lynne makes time for a candlelit stretching and meditation series, accompanied by caffeine-free green tea to eliminate toxins. Stretching prepares her muscles to work out again the next day and ensures that she wakes up feeling refreshed and supple. She eases any remaining anxiety from the day with some simple breathing exercises and, lastly, applies a Breathe Right® Nasal Strip right before she goes to sleep. “Breathe Right® really helps alleviate congestion at night,” she says.
The Career Woman
Joanna Douglas’s to-do list never stops growing, but she doesn’t let the next day’s tasks and meetings keep her awake at night. Her old-school solution? Write it all down, then forget about it until go time. “I keep a journal and pen by my bedside and jot everything down before I get in bed,” she says. “It makes the next day’s to-do list feel manageable and lets me put it out of my mind until I’m back in the office.”
To set the tone for a productive workweek, Joanna’s Sunday evening routine is a bath with relaxing salts before climbing into crisp, clean sheets. This is also when her evening beauty routine matters most, so she doesn’t skimp on a cream-based face mask, oil cleanser, serum, eye cream, and moisturizer. “My beauty routine sets me up for a week of looking rested and professional with little makeup,” she says. Finally, she applies a Breathe Right® Nasal Strip right before jumping into bed so she can breathe better as she sleeps. Monday, bring it on.
The Mom-to-Be
At eight-and-a-half-months pregnant, Amanda Murray’s nighttime routine is all about simplicity and self-care. This beauty editor knows a thing or two about both, so she uses her nightly shower to prep her skin and hair for a stress-free morning. “My in-shower beauty routine starts with a cleansing balm, which I then rinse away with a washcloth,” she says. “After my shower, I apply a soothing toner, serum, and gentle moisturizer.”
With her beauty routine complete, Amanda takes her prenatal vitamins with a glass of room-temperature water and applies a Breathe Right® Nasal Strip right before bed. These drug-free strips help her breathe and sleep better. That pregnancy glow really is effortless: Amanda lets her hair air-dry for natural, beachy waves in the morning, and she has another I-woke-up-like-this beauty tip: “If you wash your face at night, you don’t have to wash it again in the morning,” she says. “Just rinse and apply SPF and you’re good to go!”
Credits: Photography: Pippa Drummond; Art Direction: Colleen Lennon; Prop Styling: Jenny Wichman; Production: Cassie Doyle