178. Your Morning Starts The Night Before | My 2026 Full Nighttime Routine as an Early Riser

I don't think nighttime routines get enough credit for how much they set up your entire next day! So for this episode, I'm breaking down my full nighttime routine and why I think most of the work for having a better morning actually happens the night before, not when your alarm goes off.

What I'm covering:

👉🏻 Why most of the work for a good morning (and day) actually happens the night before

👉🏻 My full evening wind-down routine, from shutting down work to getting into bed

👉🏻 The shutdown routine that closes out my workday (and why it matters even more if you work from home)

👉🏻 How to plan your bedtime backwards from your wake-up time so mornings actually feel doable

None of this requires a 20-step candlelit self-care production (although, that's great, too!!) It's just a nighttime routine built around reducing friction so tomorrow feels easier before it even starts. :)

Referenced in this episode:

👉🏻 Ep. 166: The Cleaning System That Keeps My Apartment Spotless in 24/7 Without Constant Resets — https://youtu.be/UTAW61va4Kc

👉🏻 Deep Work by Cal Newport — https://go.shopmy.us/p-85026186

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Why the morning routine conversation is happening at the wrong time of day

02:00 — Why I treat my entire evening as "the routine," not just the 30 minutes before bed

07:00 — The tea test: why a calming habit at 9:30 won't fix a brain that's been activated until 9:28

09:00 — Why I brick my phone every single night (and on weekends!!)

15:00 — Why you have to go to bed earlier if you want to wake up earlier, periodt

16:00 — How I plan my bedtime backwards from my wake-up time

21:00 — My shutdown routine and the Deep Work concept that changed how I close out my workday

27:00 — My "closing shift" (why I can't relax until the kitchen is fully reset)

29:00 — The skincare and red light routine that signals to my brain the day is actually over

35:00 — How to build your own version of this without copying my exact schedule