At kip&glow, we know that rest isn’t always easy, especially for women navigating midlife, hormones, and high expectations. That’s why we’re starting something new: Notes from the Night Shift - a monthly conversation with women we admire about how they really rest, unwind, and take care of their nervous systems after dark.
We’re kicking off the series with Lucy Spicer, a Life and Mindset Coach, Certified Psychological Coach, and founder of The Lucy Spicer Practice. With over a decade of experience in the psychology field and a background in the NHS, Lucy’s approach blends science, strategy, and deep intuition. Her mission? To help women master their mind, challenge limiting beliefs, and live with intention, day and night.
From her no-phone rule and mouth tape ritual to the moment she stopped believing that rest had to be “earned,” Lucy’s perspective is the perfect reminder that good sleep isn’t about perfection, it’s about permission.
1. When your night feels off, what’s the first thing you reach for physically or mentally?
My brain likes to make 3am its thinking time, especially when it comes to business and ideas. To combat this I imagine filing away my thoughts into a briefcase and instead redirect my focus into thinking about my ‘happy places’ or lovely memories.
2. What’s one belief about sleep or rest you’ve had to unlearn and what did you replace it with?
That rest has to be “earned.” I used to believe I could only rest once everything was done. I’ve replaced that with the belief that rest is a requirement, not a reward and everything works better when I honour it. This means that I have strict boundaries when I turn off my phone at night and start my ‘unwind’ process, even if there are things still left on my to do list.
3. What does “good rest” actually look like for you right now not ideally, but in real life?
In real life, good rest looks like consistency over perfection. A wind-down routine, my phone out of the bedroom and ensuring that I am reading and journalling before I fall asleep. I rest the best when I am away from screens.
4. What’s one small shift that’s had a big impact on how you feel, at night or in the morning?
Not going on my phone before bed or first thing in the morning. That boundary alone has dramatically reduced my anxiety levels and helped me wake up feeling calmer, more grounded and not constantly available.
5. What’s earned a permanent spot on your bedside table, and why?
Mouth tape, every night. It’s been a game-changer for the quality of my sleep, deeper rest, fewer night wakings, and I wake up feeling far more refreshed. It’s such a small thing that I started recently with a surprisingly big impact.
6. Many women hit midlife feeling “tired but wired.” What’s one thing you wish they’d start, or stop, doing at night?
Stop treating bedtime like a crash landing after a busy day. I wish more women would create a gentle transition with dim lights, fewer screens, slower pace so the nervous system isn’t expected to switch off instantly.
7. What’s one product, practice, or person you find yourself recommending on repeat when someone tells you they’re not sleeping well?
I sound like a broken record but to stop scrolling on their phone before night! It disrupts our melatonin, overloads our overall busy brains and is such a saboteur for sleep.
8. Is there someone - a teacher, author, or practitioner - who’s changed the way you think about wellness?
Dr Matthew Walker. His work completely reinforced how I understand sleep not as something passive, but as one of the most powerful tools we have for mental health, emotional regulation, and long-term wellbeing.
9. What’s one wellness trend you think we need to let go of, for good?
The idea that wellness has to be extreme or aesthetic to “count.” More supplements, rituals with lots of steps, earlier wake-ups than what feels natural as often the most healing thing is slowing down and simplifying your routines so that you can stay consistent.
To learn more about Lucy’s work - including mindset coaching, personal growth, and practical psychology - visit lucyspicer.com or tune into her podcast The Journal with Lucy Spicer.
