The TRB Sleep Diaries – How our team is prioritising the bedtime wind down

If there’s one thing most of us at TRB HQ have in common right now, it’s this: we’re tired, but not exactly sleepy.

The office is buzzing and we all have a lot of tabs open, both literally and mentally. Evenings are a juggle of commuting, family life, studying, life admin, messages we haven’t replied to yet and the (very understandable, we think) urge to just switch off by scrolling. 

So, how do we actually go about winding down for bed, when we’ve been “on” all day?

Over the past 6 months, Clementine has become a welcome escape during the evenings. This fab subscription-free digital wellbeing library leads in the UK market with its thoughtful range of soothing content for sleep, with additional support for mind and body coming soon. From hypnotherapy to breathing exercises, it all slots into real life in a way that just works. 

Read on for a little behind-the-scenes look at what we’re learning thanks to Clementine, and the small but meaningful shifts we’ve made so that you can steal them too.

What we mean by winding down for bed 

When we talk about winding down, we’re really talking about helping the nervous system change gears, and taking things down a notch from the day.

Most of us spend our days in some level of stress mode, even if we don’t realise it. And then we expect to go straight from “on” to “asleep”, without any kind of transition. 

The problem with this? Most of us don’t actually know how to unwind. We go from work, to family admin, to scrolling, straight into bed, with no time in between. Our brains are still very much “on”, even if our bodies are exhausted. 

So we get into bed tired but wired, and that’s where the frustration creeps in.

How to make yourself tired, according to the experts

Yep, believe it or not, ‘How to make yourself tired’ is a fairly frequently asked question, according to the NHS.

It turns out that what helps most are predictability and gentle cues that tell your nervous system the day is easing off.

Those cues don’t have to start at bedtime. Clementine Founder & CEO Kim Palmer shares:

“For me, winding down actually begins earlier in the evening. If we’re watching TV, I’ll often do some very gentle stretching at the same time.

Then when I’m in bed, small, repetitive, soothing rituals like face massage, brushing my hair slowly and giving my jaw or hands some attention are the name of the game.

What the science is very clear on is that more doesn’t equal better. The nervous system responds to familiarity, so long, multi-step wind-down routines can mean you end up trying to ‘do sleep right’, which keeps the brain switched on.”

So, what’s far more effective is one or two simple, repeatable signals that your body starts to associate with safety and rest. So, how does this look for the team, in practice?

How to wind down before bed (Our team-approved tips)

None of us are doing anything fancy, but, leaning on Clementine, a few shared habits have naturally emerged.

1. Create a buffer before bed

Lois, Social Media Manager

I’m 22, and I’m absolutely in my busy girl era right now. Between work, commuting, run club and gym classes, studying for my degree and a very colourful social life, it’s a lot.

I’m pretty happy right now, but busy days mean I don’t always notice how switched on I still am until I finally stop.

My biggest tip for winding down before bed is to really plan for buffer time.

Often, I’ll put my phone down a bit earlier and do some gentle journaling. Other nights it’s listening to something calming rather than watching another Desperate Housewives episode.

Even a short pause between evening life and bed makes a difference, and often ten minutes is just enough for me to shift the tone for my nervous system.

Clementine library pick: The Bedtime Journaling Bundle 

Four guided journaling sessions make it easy to wind down, release stress, and reset your mindset before sleep.

2. Reduce stimulation throughout the evening

Emma, Editorial Lead

I’ve been managing health anxiety since my teens, and whilst I’m a lot better at it now, thought spirals tend to happen for me just as I’ve got into bed.

To combat that, I’m terrible for just jumping into social scrolling to soften my thoughts and let my mind go blank. The upshot? I’m then lying awake – still. My body feels tired, but my nervous system is actually more ramped up than before.

Reducing this stimulation with dimmer lights, quieter sounds and fewer notifications are small tweaks that can make a huge impact, signalling to your brain that it’s safe to slow down, rather than keeping it in alert mode.

In my case, I’ll swap my phone for a book, use my blue light blocking glasses, and use Clementine to keep me off my socials and plugged into a soothing session, if I need. Having something calm to focus on stops my thoughts from spiralling without adding more noise.

Clementine library pick: Fall Asleep When Your Mind’s Too Loud Bundle

1 hour and 54 minutes of soothing sessions blending Cognitive Hypnotherapy and guided relaxation to help you fall asleep faster, release stress, and wake up refreshed.

3. Keep it simple

Jessie, Senior Editor

I’m 39, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned as a mum of two, it’s that complicated evening routines don’t survive busy days. When you’re already tired, anything that feels like effort is the first thing to go.

I’ve started bringing my own bedtime forward now that my kids sleep through the night, and for the first time in years, that time feels restful now that I’m not trying to do everything “right”.

I’ve started to choose a couple of things that help my body soften. Gentle stretching, slow skincare, or some very quick breathwork feels doable, and sometimes replaces that glass of red wine (still love it though). These small actions help release the physical tension I’ve been carrying all day.

Something else that helped heaps was letting go of the idea that winding down needs to look a certain way. Simple, familiar practices are much easier to repeat, especially on the nights when you’re running on empty.

Clementine library pick: Breathwork to Shift Your Sleep Mindset

This 6-minute breathwork session blends Cognitive Hypnotherapy + guided breathing techniques to help rewire your thoughts around sleep. By quieting frustration and creating space for rest, it helps you move from “I can’t” to finally drifting off.

4. Go for consistency over perfection

Eloise, CEO & Founder

As a business owner and mum of five, my to-do list is constantly running wild. There’s always something else that could be done, finished, or prepared for the next day.

Also, I’ve struggled with insomnia for ages and struggle to stay asleep a lot of the time, so that sense of pressure around sleep tends to make everything worse.

My biggest tip is that doing something most nights beats doing something perfectly once a week. 

For me, that consistency comes from having a consistent set bedtime and a small selection of Clementine sessions that I return to again and again. There’s comfort in knowing exactly what I’m going to put on if I wake in the night, rather than lying there clock-watching.

Clementine library pick: Wide awake at 3am? 

A 17-minute session blending Cognitive Hypnotherapy + guided relaxation to quiet racing thoughts, release tension, and ease you back into deep sleep.

For busy, mentally loaded women just like us, Clementine works best as a swap, not an add-on. Instead of scrolling, you listen – ideally in bed, eyes closed, phone face down, no prep required.

It’s a big collective yes, from us.

So if you’re reading this in bed, phone hovering a little closer to your face than you planned, consider this your gentle nudge to start your wind down. Learn more about Clementine, explore their sleep library and get started with a gentle option that works for you.

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