My Real Wind-Down Routine (Not the Aesthetic Version)

Seven simple sleep habits that replaced doom-scrolling — and actually work.

For a long time, my “wind-down routine” was scrolling in bed and calling it rest. If you’d asked me a few years ago, I would’ve told you I didn’t have a bedtime routine, I just went to bed. Which, if you know anything about sleep, is basically the same as saying you don’t have a morning routine, you just wake up. Technically true. Not the point.

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Shop the body and face moisturizers I use every night to wind down.

What changed it for me wasn’t one big overhaul. It was noticing that my body needed a signal — something consistent that told my nervous system “we’re done for the day” before my head hit the pillow. So over the last year or so I’ve built out an actual hour-before-bed sequence. Nothing extreme. But it’s the difference between lying there wired and actually feeling my shoulders drop.

Here’s what it looks like most nights:

1. Lights down, phone away (kept outside of the bedroom) — ideally 90 minutes out. This is the one people roll their eyes at and also the one that matters most. I’m not perfect about it, but even dimming the overheads and swapping to a lamp does something. Bright light in the evening keeps your body thinking it’s still afternoon. Avoid it at all costs.

2. A warm shower, not a hot one. Hot water feels good in the moment but actually delays your core temperature drop, which is part of what signals sleep. Warm water for a few minutes is the move.

3. The moisturizing part, which is doing more than skin stuff. This sounds small, but the act of slowing down and putting on body moisturizer after a shower has become one of my cues that the day is over. There’s something almost ritual about it — two minutes of just being in your body instead of in your inbox. I’ve been using OneSkin’s OS-01 Body Moisturizer for this — it’s a peptide-based formula that’s more longevity-science-driven than “smells nice,” which appealed to the part of me that likes knowing what’s actually in a product. As a wind-down cue, it’s earned its spot in the routine. Use code JAMIELIVESWELL for 15% off your purchase here!

4. Magnesium glycinate, about 30 minutes before bed. Not a sponsor, just a genuine habit. This one took the longest to notice a difference from, but I did eventually. If you like drinking magnesium I am a fan of the Calm powder (not a sponsor).

5. Three lines in a notebook. Not a gratitude list (usually that’s a morning habit for me), not a journaling practice with a name. Just, what happened today, one thing I’m carrying into tomorrow, lights off. Gets it out of my head.

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6. Essential Oil Diffuser. At some point this year I decided to pick up an essential oil diffuser and add it to my evening routine. Ever since it’s been a staple in my evening routine. I add a few drops of my favourite oils and set it to a one hour timer. It helps me unwind before drifting off.

7. Read a book in bed. The last thing I do is read a book to help me drift off. I find it takes my mind away from the million and one thoughts I seem to have during the day.

None of this is groundbreaking. That’s kind of the point, it’s not supposed to be a hack, it’s supposed to be boring and repeatable. The nervous system doesn’t respond to novelty at 9pm, it responds to routine.

If you’re rebuilding your own version of this, I’d start with just one piece — the light dimming or the shower timing — rather than trying to install all five steps at once. Add the next thing once the first one is automatic.

P.S. — Seriously, if the moisturizer part sounded appealing, use this link to get 15% off.

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