I Followed Seven Celebrities’ Bedtime Routines. These Are My Honest Reviews

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Hello, lovely people. It is I, the woman who cannot come up with her own routines and has to steal from celebrities. I tried a different celebrity’s morning routine for a week about two months ago. That article transformed the way I approached my mornings, and many practices I learned in those routines are now integral to my waking up. Since the morning routines were so helpful, I figured I would do the bedtime routines as well!

I have to be honest, following these routines was harder than I thought it would be. Most people’s night routines involve them slowing down or stopping completely, and I don’t slow down. These routines forced me to slow down and finally be present with myself. In other words, face my worst fear. The most notable thing I learned from this last week is how much I relied on external distractions throughout my days — and especially at night. So, when most of these celebrities had no electronics in their bedrooms at night, it was hard for me to comply. 

Here’s my current nighttime routine for reference: 

9:00: Shower
9:30: Skincare and YouTube
10:00: TikTok
12: Sleep

I know, I’m in real need of a bedtime routine makeover. So let’s do it!

Night 1: Lili Reinhart

Who she is:

An actress on Riverdale and Hustlers and a mental health advocate. 

Her routine:

9:00: Wash your face, put on a baggy t-shirt, maybe take a bath.
9:40: Read Reddit (specifically Oddly Satisfying subreddits like pimple popping videos) and watch TV.
10:00: Check social media.
10:30: Pray.
11:00: Snooze!

My Review

This was the perfect start to my week. Or end to the start…anyway. I couldn’t find an exact time that Reinhart goes to bed. She did say in an interview with Self that she likes to have at least 9-10 hours of sleep, but most of the time gets about 7-8. I like to wake up around 7:30, so I aimed for about 8 ½ hours. 

The routine was a lovely and forceful relaxation. The majority of people are up and running in the mornings. We want to start off the day doing all the things and getting into a clear headspace. Nighttime seems to be the perfect juxtaposition for the morning – it’s when we take time to wholly be there for ourselves.

I opted for a facemask last night because Reinhart says she likes to treat herself sometimes. I also don’t usually go on Reddit, so I watched Dr. Pimple Popper on TikTok. I loved this little addition to the routine and it entertained me. The moment of mindful prayer helped me get out of my head and into my heart. 

Reinhart’s routine wasn’t too different from my own. It was a soft start to the week and I enjoyed the little differences.

Night 2: Celebrity: Tiffany Paul

Who she is:

Mom of two, founder of The Slept Life and host of the Dream Life Podcast . Basically an expert on sleep. 

Her routine: 

8:00: The kids are in bed and it’s time to clean the house up. Put on some relaxing music, clean the toys and dishes, burn some sage, and light a lavender orange candle. 
8:30: Finish up with a glass of wine, Nightly Rose Tea, or chilled Aurora Elixir CBD drink. 
8:35: One last scroll through social media and then delete all the apps off the phone so you won’t go on them again. 
8:45: Check out tomorrow’s schedule and list out anything urgent or pressing that needs to be done tomorrow.
8:50: Gratitude journal time! 
8:55: Put on a podcast and stretch or do yoga. 
9:00: Manifesting meditation by Heidi Stevens. Add in a satin weighted eye mask to really bring this meditation home. 
9:15: Bath or shower time. If the day has been particularly stressful, take a bath with a Mystery Crystal Bath Bomb (she likes to do this for 1-2 hours before bed because a temperature of 104-109°f can significantly improve your sleep).
9:40: She slips into her Lunya washable silk PJs, uses her NuFACE, and puts on her LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask. 
10:15: Once she’s snuggled in bed, she’ll pull an oracle card from her Rumi Deck and read and reflect on the message. 
10:30: She will hold her amethyst crystal and set her bedtime intention. 
10:35: Turn on some white noise and put the satin-weighted eye mask back on!

My Review

This seemed like my favorite routine on paper. Tiffany has a wonderful work/life balance. When she’s writing down her gratitude for the day she even has a different pen — it’s more beautiful than her everyday work pen. 

The start of the routine was perfect for me. It had been a long work-from-home day and I appreciated that every night she cleans for 30 minutes. When you add cleaning into your everyday life, it doesn’t become as much of a chore. I put on my diffuser and my lavender candle and listened to my wind-down playlist. It was a perfect end to the work day.

She does incorporate social media, but then removes it from her phone. I checked my different apps then put my phone down for the night. I then sat down and was mindful about the next and previous days. I planned the next day out and wrote in my gratitude journal for the previous one — something I used to do all the time, but I’ve fallen out of that habit. That was my favorite part of this routine.

I moved to the stretch and meditation. Five minutes seemed like a very short time to do yoga, so I continued the stretch during the meditation. I don’t own Oracle cards or crystals, so I set my intention for the next day, popped on my eye mask, and laid down. 

This routine caused me to go to bed earlier than I had in a bit, so it was a little shock to my system. But I woke up well-rested the next morning. This routine was two and a half hours of showing up for yourself in every way before bed. So far, my favorite routine.

Night 3: Jay Shetty

Who he is:

An award-winning book writer, podcaster, and storyteller. He wrote the book Think Like a Monk and has made it his life’s mission to teach everyone the secrets he learned at his monastery.

His routine:

After work: Check your schedule for the next day and mentally prepare for the challenges you may face.
After that wrap up: Make sure you learned something. He uses the Blinkist app but also suggests reading a book or listening to a podcast.
Dinner: Eat dinner with your SO and maybe watch a movie (try not to be on your phone during this).
An hour before you go to bed: Turn your phone on airplane mode.
45 minutes before bed: Pull out The Five Minute Journal and reflect on the highlights of the day. He does this in a separate place to give him the optimal grounding effect. He says, “time has memory and location has energy. When you do something in the same place every day, it creates a habit”.
30 minutes before bed: To avoid decision fatigue, choose what you’re going to wear the next day.
20 minutes before bed: Tell your partner how much you love them.
10 minutes before bed: Pray and set your intention. Thank God and pray to be of service.
5 minutes before bed: Repeat the affirmations: I am happy, I am healthy, I am focused/I am energized, nourished, and ready to take on the day. 
1 minute before bed: Breathwork: Breathe in for 4 seconds and out for more than 4 seconds.
0 minutes: Scan through your body and send gratitude to each part of your body for allowing you to do the day.

My Review

I love how mindful these routines are. It established a distinct difference between my work mind and my real-life mind. I love that he plans ahead the second he gets off work. It’s a great way to take advantage of the mindset your brain is in while also starting to transition to a cool-down mode. 

My partner is in NYC this weekend, so I called him for quality time. I will admit that I didn’t keep my phone on airplane mode until I knew he was safe in his hotel. But I did go through the night without using any apps. 

One element that I liked about the routine was the importance of learning at least one thing every day. Even though I research and work most days, I don’t always learn from that. Jay Shetty’s focus on self-growth and learning from life is throughout this routine.  

I fell asleep much faster using breathwork and mindfulness tactics, so I’m a huge fan of this routine!

Night 4: Molly Bernard

Who she is:

Actor on TV Land’s Younger.

Her routine:

10:00: Double-cleanse your face, use toner and a serum.
10:20: Do little light reading — either the New Yorker or a book and a snuggle with her dog Henry.
10:40: Go around the apartment and make sure all the dishes are in the dishwasher.
11:00: Watch a TV show and some cuddles.
12: Bedtime!

My Review

The perfectionist in me had a tough time with this routine. I got home from my partner’s house at about 10:13 and almost scrapped everything because it wasn’t right on the dot. These routines are all unique and amazing, but the thing I’m learning is that they’re not gospel. These are ideal and generalized times and they don’t happen every night. So I was kind to myself and did this routine 10 minutes late.

Bernard starts off her routine with the Ren Clarifying Toning Lotion and then settles in to do some light reading. A lot of these routines have banned any kind of electronics from the bedroom or at least at bedtime. Bernard’s routine seemed very down to earth and understanding that some nights people don’t want to read a novel, they want to sit in bed and gawk at men on The Bachelorette. She then cleans her apartment, which I love because I came home in a flurry, and cleaning is one of my favorite and most necessary nightly activities.

I did have trouble settling down and falling asleep. But I liked that the routine seemed very easy to do and not too extreme on any front. 

Night 5: Arianna Huffington

Who she is:

Co-founder of The Huffington Post, president and chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, and the author of “The Sleep Revolution.”

Her routine: 

– Ditch the devices.

– Take a hot bath.

– Dress for sleep.

– Read a book.

– Lie down and think of the things that you’re grateful for.

My Review

I found a video where Huffington talked about her nighttime routine and I love her ideas about it. She relates how we put ourselves to bed to the way we put our children to bed. We don’t toss our kids in bed, turn off the lights, and leave them. We give them a bath, put their pajamas on, and read a book to them. If we don’t expect our children to go to sleep without a routine, we shouldn’t expect ourselves to. 

Arianna Huffington’s routine is accessible and applicable — you can do it in five or 30 minutes. She currently takes 30 minutes, so I respected that. I took a bath, which is always a joy to me. I took the no electronics rule to the next level and I lit candles instead of turning on the lights. I also read my book in the bath. I do have to admit that I broke the routine — Arianna takes all her electronics and puts them outside of her bedroom. I wish I had that self control, but my partner was in NYC that night and I kept my phone with me to make sure he was safe. 

I love the focus on mindful gratitude that Huffington ends the day with. If we can focus our minds on the good at the end of every day, our mental states might start to improve.

I didn’t fall asleep too well with this routine, but that was user error more than anything else. My mind was buzzing and it seemed like one of those nights that you can’t quite turn off. I would love to add gratitude and no electronics elements into my nightly routine in the future.

Night 6: Jaclyn Johnson

Who she is:

The founder and CEO of Create & Cultivate and author of WorkParty.

Her routine: 

6:00: Leave the office.
7:00: Walk the dog. Don’t bring your phone on the walk — this is a form of meditation.
7:30: Cook dinner with the husband. This is also a no-phone time.
9:00: Check to make sure there aren’t any unread emails or anything urgent to do.
9:30: Wash your face, do a mask 1-2 times a week.

My Review

It took me six days, but I finally did it. I had some quality no-phone time! The most prevalent lesson I’ve learned from these routines is how little I’m present. I’m always hooked up to a device as a distraction, and it is killing my attention span. So I went on a long walk and didn’t look at my phone once. It was beautiful. I’m leaving for vacation and a wedding soon so my home is a half-packed mess. It was a literal breath of fresh air to leave the clutter of my room and step into nature at the end of the night. 

My partner and I don’t live together, so I continued the quiet mindfulness and ate a no-phone dinner. I’m horrible at sitting quietly by myself, so I turned on The Bold Type while I ate. I didn’t sign back into work because I have a personal boundary of not working past eight o’clock unless I really need to do something. So I hopped in the shower and did my favorite Bliss Overnight Mask and called it a night. 

I didn’t fall asleep immediately, but I did feel more relaxed and done with the day than I had in a bit. I enjoyed this routine because it ties up a bunch of loose ends at the end of your day.

Night 7: Reese Witherspoon

Who she is:

Actress, producer, and entrepreneur.

Her routine:

5:30: Family dinner.
7:00: Hang out with family.
8:00: Put son to bed and watch The Crown, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, or Queer Eye.
10:00: Get ready for bed. 
10:30: Sleep!

My Review

Reese’s routine was the perfect way to wrap up the week of routines. I was able to have a wonderful dinner with my partner free from work talk or anything stressful. We then were able to spend some quality time together before we left for vacation. I chose this as my last routine because it focuses on the people around me rather than me and work. 

My partner and I are actually watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel right now. Reese’s recommendations fit in so well with our real lives. I fell right to sleep after the day was over. 

What I Learned

Doing celebrity morning routines was a much easier task because I could make myself wake up earlier and become more alert and ready to take on the day. It’s harder for me to slow down and turn it off. The majority of these celebrities try to maintain their nighttime routines, even though they might not be able to do them exactly the way they want every single night. 

This routine challenge came at the right time in my life too. I was on the brink of burnout and wanted to implement routines and moments in my days that required me to slow down. 

My favorite part of these routines was the cleaning and organizational time at night. Cleaning my surroundings not only helped me to welcome a new day, it also improved my space and readied my brain for a new day. And the act of looking ahead to my next to-do’s also helped me organize and prepare for what the next day had in store for me. They were a little challenging to do and required more discipline from me, but were so worth it in the end.

Do you have any musts in your nighttime routine? Is there a strange celebrity routine I missed? Comment below!

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