What’s Everyone’s Sleep Routine?

What does your sleep routine look like? Until college, I figured everyone followed basically the same drill: when the clock strikes 10 p.m., you put on your pajamas, turn off the lights and crash. But once I had roommates, I realized how idiosyncratic bedtime rituals can get. One friend likes to sleep in jeans (jeans!!!). Another is a true night owl and can’t pass out until 2 a.m. A third listens to basketball player Scottie Pippen’s deep voice while drifting off.

So, for fun, I asked our CoJ team to share how they prepare for a good night’s sleep. Here’s what they said…

Joanna Goddard, editor
Bedtime: 10:30 p.m.
Two words that describe the mood while getting ready for bed: Chatty children. My boys get (strategically) talkative as we move toward bed, but the joke’s on them because I love hearing their thoughts pour out.
Currently reading: Demon Copperhead. He’s an incredible character — think Holden Caulfield if he grew up without parents in the mountains of Appalachia — and the story flies along.
Favorite sleeping companion: Marlow pillows, always and forever. This perfect pillow, with cooling-infused memory foam, helps me sleep so much more deeply. You can adjust the squishiness and softness to exactly how you like it, so you never wake up with a sore neck. I love them so much, I got Marlows for every bed in our apartment and gave one to my mom and sister for Christmas. They’re that good. (Bonus for CoJ readers: Marlow is offering up to 30% off four or more pillows, plus an additional 20% off, good through March 20th. No code needed.)

Jannelle Sanchez, associate editor
Bedtime: 9 p.m., I’ve always turned in early — I was the kid who fell asleep first at sleepovers. Thankfully, I married a guy who goes to bed early, too.
Two words that describe the mood while getting ready for bed: HELL YEAH.
How I knew I’d found ‘the one’: One evening, when we were first dating, we were hanging out at Max’s house watching TV. We were having a great time, but as soon as the clock hit 10 p.m., he turned and said, “Welp, you should probably go. I’ve got to go to bed.” I was both annoyed and ecstatic to find someone on my bedtime wavelength.
Favorite sleeping companion: My daughter’s white noise machine. My shoulders drop as soon as I turn that baby on.

Jenny Rosenstrach, food columnist
Bedtime: Around 9:30 p.m., but I don’t turn off the light until an hour later.
Two words that describe the mood while getting ready for bed: Mini vacation. Climbing into bed is my favorite part of the day since it’s the only time I have dedicated space for reading an actual book — not Twitter, not the news, nothing that is scrollable or backlit.
Best magazine to read before bed: Any profile from the New Yorker. I loved Nobody Has My Condition But Me, a personal essay about the author’s one-of-a-kind genetic disorder. It was fascinating.
Favorite sleeping companion: My dogs — but only if my husband lets them and usually he doesn’t (they keep him awake). And lip balm to wear while sleeping.

Kaitlyn Teer, contributing editor
Bedtime: 8:30 p.m.
Two words that describe the mood while getting ready for bed: Unreasonably hopeful. But I’m always side-eying the baby monitor and hoping we’ll all sleep through the night.
Most amazing dream: I once had a dream that I was pregnant. Then I woke up and took a pregnancy test, and it was positive. When I’m pregnant, my dreams can be eerily accurate.
Currently reading: Happily: A Personal History with Fairy Tales, a stunning memoir about motherhood and fables.

What do you do to wind down for the night? Do you need any tools or swear by any rituals? I’d love to hear.

P.S. Couples who sleep in separate bedrooms and an anxiety trick for bedtime.

(Top photo and Jenny photo by Christine Han for Cup of Jo. Anton photo by Heather Moore for Cup of Jo.)

Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission or have a sponsored relationship with the brand, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like. Thank you so much.