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We spend a third of our lives asleep—that means our bedroom is the most lived-in space in our homes. It’s the room where we start and end our days, and that’s why the rituals that happen there are extra-important. In The Wind Down, we’ll be exploring the nighttime routines of people we admire and taking their advice to make the moments just before bed feel our best.
It would be a fair guess to wager that Martine Ho never stops moving. As the founder of several companies under her Sunnies label—a cruelty-free beauty line, an optical collection, a sunglasses brand, and a café franchise—the Los Angeles transplant, who now splits her time between the Philippines and Australia, has a lot on her plate. But she always makes time to relax at the end of the day.
Now expecting her first child, the entrepreneur is finding more ways to balance the new shift to working from home, listen to her body’s needs, and find some peace of mind. Here, she explains her evening strategy.
Off switch: To transition out of the productivity mode, I fully shut down my laptop before I start making dinner. I don’t allow myself to watch TV until work is finished, which helps me break up the day.
Soothing sips: I am obsessed with Magnesi-Om by Moon Juice, which my sister recommended. It really clears my mind and relaxes me—now I’m stocked up, and I’ve been giving it to everyone in my life.
Wash it off: I always take a nice, warm shower at the end of the day and go through my skin routine. I especially love Lesse Refining Cleanser, Drunk Elephant Protini, Clarins Double Serum, and The Ordinary Buffet. I also put Lucas Papaw on everything—that’s the Australian influence in my life.
Body language: Now that I’m seven months pregnant, I’m slathering on the moisture. I rotate through putting Palmer’s Cocoa Butter, Bio Oil, and La Mer Renewal Oil on my stomach.
Perfect pj’s: Honestly, I could live in nightwear, so sometimes I actually do while working from home. I think I spend way too much on silk nightgowns, but they make me so happy—when I put them on, it’s like an instant holiday. I like Olivia von Halle’s designs in particular.
Tech disconnect: I have four phones and four different numbers—I know it’s a lot. But the only one that I ever bring into my bedroom is the one with my Australian number, which only my husband has, since we’re in a long-distance marriage. I sometimes read the news on this phone, but I leave work and social media off of it, because they can keep me up at night. I do play a lot of Plants Versus Zombies, which helps me unwind.
Required reading: I have an app called Blinkist, which summarizes nonfiction books in 15 minutes—I enjoy listening to it before bed, but otherwise I get off my phone and read a book. I’ve amassed so many titles on parenting and motherhood, but my favorite is by my friend Erica Chidi Cohen, called Nurture. It’s been the most helpful and pragmatic guide to pregnancy and early motherhood that I’ve come across. I also pick upStephen Hawking’s Brief Answers to the Big Questions now and again when I need some brain food.
Best bed: I don’t have a bed frame—I love a floor bed. My room is all white and very zen, which is in big contrast to the rest of my home. My favorite sheets are Ettitude’s bamboo ones, which are super-silky, in addition to being sustainable. I also have a two-inch memory foam topper, which makes me feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud. Someone gave me a pregnancy body pillow, which I’m going to hang onto beyond my pregnancy—it’s like a big hug. And I got a weighted blanket from Costco that I’ve also been finding helpful, especially at this moment. It provides the kind of comfort we’re all looking for.
Write it out: I always have a notebook beside my bed—sometimes I have an idea at 1 a.m. when I’m on a bathroom break, so I make sure I jot it down.
In the zone: To sleep, I need ultimate silence and darkness—like I’m in an isolation tank with total sensory deprivation. I’ve tried every single eye mask on the market and the best by far is from Slip. It needs to be in a dark color, so no light can get in. I also wear earplugs.
Lights-out at midnight!
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