How Courtney Adamo’s Bedtime Routine Helps Her Juggle Five Children and a Business

Yoga, a simple skincare routine, a no-phone policy and a good book helps lull her to sleep in no time.

Welcome to Bedtime Stories, an interview series where we ask inspiring individuals to share their nighttime routine and sleep secrets – from the beauty products they can’t live without to the tricks they swear by when they’re too tired to function (no coffee needed). For this instalment, lifestyle blogger and mum-of-five Courtney Adamo, reveals the sleep routine that helps manage her physical and mental health, all while juggling a (very) busy household and a business.

If you ever felt like you were juggling too much in life, we’d like you to meet Courtney Adamo. Between hustling as a lifestyle blogger, renovating and styling her family’s home and caring for her five children and dog, you’d think the Byron-Bay based entrepreneur barely has any time to care for herself. You’re half-correct – her days are definitely filled to the brim – but she surprisingly still manages to find the time to look after her physical and mental health.

It’s small tricks and tips she’s refined over the years, which she’s integrated into her daily schedule that help her look and feel her best every day. Well, most days. Adamo admits there’s “nothing glamorous” about her hectic life, so much so that you’ll still find her in her pyjamas at 8am on weekdays as she’s running around the house trying to get her kids ready for the day ahead.

And while her picture-perfect Instagram grid might prove otherwise, Adamo's life is just as chaotically fun as any other loving mother trying to do it all – and so much more.

So, Bed Threads Journal sat down with the inspiring businesswoman to find out exactly how she manages to juggle her career and family, all while showing herself some much needed TLC.

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Hi Courtney! Welcome to Bedtime Stories. Can you walk us through your bedtime routine?

We are really bad at keeping to a regular schedule in our house. With seven people in one small house, there are so many variables to the bedtime routine that I swear each night is different. Bedtime routines change depending on whether the toddler had a daytime nap, if the teenagers are still awake doing homework or even depending on what the dog’s up to.

We’ve lived in Australia for nearly five years now, but my friends joke that I’m still on European time. We eat dinner around 7pm and our kids are usually not in bed before 9pm.

Ideally, I’m in bed by around 10pm. I usually spend about 10 minutes reading my book before my eyelids feel too heavy to keep my eyes open any longer. Then, I just have to hope the rest of the family keep quiet and sleep well.

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What sleep or beauty products do you swear by that you won’t go a night without?

I love washing my face with the Jurlique Cleansing Lotion. It leaves my face feeling so soft and nourished. I then follow up with a serum and a lightweight moisturiser.

What is your solution for those nights you simply can’t nod off to sleep?

I’m really lucky I’m able to fall asleep easily every night. I’m really sensitive to caffeine, so I avoid drinking anything with caffeine after I’ve had my morning coffee.

I also try to do a bit of stretching or yoga every day. I feel like if I’ve stretched my body, I’m able to feel less jittery and more at ease in my sleep. I also try to avoid being on my phone in the evenings, though that’s easier said than done.

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What time does your alarm go off in the morning?

All of us are awake at 7am every morning, and it’s usually a busy hour of juggling tasks to get all five kids ready and out the door each day. My husband and I have refined our morning routine over the years and we each have set tasks.

I usually put a load of laundry on first thing in the morning. I then empty the dishwasher, make the coffee and help the kids with their breakfast. Meanwhile, Michael makes the school lunches (he takes this job very seriously!). We don’t usually sit down to eat our own breakfast until the kids have caught the school bus.

Then I shower, get dressed and prepare for the day. If you knocked on my door at 7.45am, you’d probably still find me in my pyjamas, messy hair, hustling kids to get dressed for school, packing school bags, braiding hair and brushing teeth, cleaning a kitchen, helping a child find a matching pair of socks, hustling again, shouting reminders about after school activities - the real lot! There’s definitely nothing glamorous about it.

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What are three things (besides coffee) that help when you’re too tired to function?

There was a big chunk of my life where I felt like I was always super tired - when I was breastfeeding babies and had toddlers in my bed, and when I was working too hard and juggling too much. Thankfully, these days are a bit easier in that regard, and I am able to get my sleep and avoid having this feeling too often.

It sounds counterintuitive to say this, but sometimes when I’m feeling sluggish, I like to go have a surf. Every time I come out of the ocean, I feel revived, physically and mentally.

Lately, I’ve also been trying to focus on honouring my monthly cycle, and the physical and emotional changes we feel throughout the month. There are times where naturally we have less energy, and it’s important to honour where we are and how we’re feeling, and to know our own limits.

Lastly, if I had to share a product I love, I’d recommend the Energise Tea by Mayde Tea, which is naturally caffeine-free and contains herbs meant to give an energy boost. I also love the products from The Beauty Chef.

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What do you normally eat for breakfast to kick start your day?

Breakfast is my favourite meal; we take it very seriously in our house. On weekdays, I always make a porridge of some sort, topped with seasonal fruit, coconut kefir, nuts, seeds and spices. On weekends we make pancakes - ‘skinny pancakes’ (crepes) on Saturdays and ‘fat pancakes’ (American style) on Sundays.

Take a tour of Courtney's home

For more from Courtney, follow her on Instagram @courtneyadamo.