Notes from Kim
My wind-down routine: the things I actually do before bed
Not a 27-step evening routine. Just the handful of things I really do, most nights, on the sofa and in bed, to let the day go.
By Kim Palmer, Founder of Clementine
· 3 min read
In short
- Wind-down routines don’t need to be long or perfect. Mine is mostly done on the sofa, in front of the telly.
- The things that have stuck: facial cupping every night, an acupressure mat, a little Thursday treat, and a voice in my ears once I’m in bed.
- The point isn’t the products. It’s having a few small signals that tell your body the day is over.
Every so often I see an evening routine online that starts at 6pm and has more steps than a recipe. I don’t have time for that, and I suspect you don’t either.
So this is the honest version: the few things I actually do, most nights, without making a project of it. None of them is clever. They’ve just stuck, and together they tell my body the day is done.
1. Facial cupping and a hand massage, every single night
This is the one I never skip. Every night, without fail, I do my facial cups and give my hands a massage, and I feel strange when I don’t. I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now.
Again, I do it in front of the telly, for five or ten minutes, and I give my neck and shoulders a bit of a stretch too. The cups make a sucking sound, which my husband loves (not), but he’s got used to it.
2. Lying on an acupressure mat
I bought an acupressure mat and pillow for my husband. I’m the one who uses it. About three times a week I lie on it while we watch something before bed, and I’ve been doing that for the past year.
I lie there for about ten minutes, with the pillow under my head too, because I love the feeling of it there. Sometimes I put a blanket over me as well. I’ll be honest: I’m a bit strange in that I like to feel a little bit of pain, so I totally get that this isn’t for everyone. For me, it really helps me relax.
Mine is a different brand, but if you’d like one, we’ve found a lovely woman-owned business that sells them: East Healing.
3. A foam roller for my neck and shoulders
I hold a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders, so I’ll do some stretching on a foam roller too. Again, all while watching telly.
I find all of this super relaxing. I’m quite fidgety, and having something to do with my body helps me stay focused but relaxed at the same time, if that makes sense.
4. A Thursday-night treat
Thursday is the long one: far enough into the week to be tired, not quite Friday. We’ve started having a Mother Root Ginger on a Thursday night, over ice with sparkling water, to brighten the week up a bit. It’s alcohol-free, so it doesn’t cost me my sleep.
It sounds small. It is small. That’s the point: something to look forward to that doesn’t keep you up.
5. Five fingers, if my head’s still busy
If I get into bed and my mind is still running through tomorrow, I do 5 finger breathing: trace around one hand, breathing in up each finger and out down the other side. It takes about a minute, and I can do it lying down in the dark. If you prefer counting, 4-7-8 breathing and box breathing do a similar job.
6. Then the phone goes face down
The last thing I do is the thing I built Clementine for. I tap a sleep ritual card on my phone, press play, and turn the phone face down. A calm voice takes over the thinking, through soft headphones I can lie on.
And if I wake at 3am, which I do more than I’d like, I don’t reach for my phone. I press the middle button on the Clementine sleep band and Wide Awake At 3am? talks me back down.
Make your own
You don’t need any of my things. You need a few small signals you can repeat, ideally ones that keep your hands busy and your screen away. Pick one, do it for a week, then add another.
If you’re looking for ideas for someone else (or a hint for yourself), lots of these are in our Christmas gift guide.
Questions
What is a good wind-down routine before bed?
One you’ll actually keep. A few small, repeatable things that slow you down and keep your screen away work better than a long list. Mine is facial cupping and a hand massage in front of the telly, an acupressure mat, a minute of breathing, and a calm voice once I’m in bed.
How long should a wind-down routine be?
As long as you can keep up. Mine is spread over the last hour or so of the evening, but most of it happens on the sofa while we watch telly, so it doesn’t feel like extra time.
What can I do instead of scrolling before bed?
Give your hands something to do: facial cups, a hand massage, a craft, tracing your hand for 5 finger breathing. Then put the phone face down. A session you start with one tap means you don’t have to look at the screen again.