The 10 p.m. reset:
a softer landing for sleep.

By late evening, a lot of us are still carrying the day in our shoulders. The inbox is closed but the conversation is still happening in our head. The kitchen is quiet, but tomorrow has already started lining up its requests.

A bedtime routine will not make every night perfect. It can, however, be a small transition: a way of telling your attention that it does not have to keep watch over everything at once.

Choose three things, not twelve.

The internet has turned the evening routine into a performance. But the best ritual is usually the one you can repeat when you are tired. Try a three-step reset you can complete in ten unhurried minutes:

• Dim: lower the lights or move to a quieter room. Let the environment change before you ask your mind to.
• Set down: write one unfinished task on a piece of paper. You are not solving it; you are giving it a place to wait.
• Soften: choose one low-stimulation activity: wash your face, stretch gently, read a few pages, listen to a familiar song, or simply sit with tea.

That is enough. Repetition gives the sequence its power, not complexity.

Make the next morning a little easier, too.

Sometimes sleep begins with what you do for the person you will be tomorrow. Lay out the mug. Put a glass of water where you will see it. Decide what you are wearing. These small gestures reduce the number of decisions waiting at the edge of the morning—and can make the night feel more complete.

Be curious when sleep changes.

Most adults, including older adults, generally need about seven to nine hours of sleep a night, although needs and patterns vary.¹ Trouble sleeping can also be connected to many things: a changed schedule, stress, pain, medication, menopause, or sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. It is worth bringing persistent concerns to a healthcare professional, especially if you are often sleepy in the daytime, wake gasping or short of breath, snore loudly, or notice a new change in your sleep.

For tonight, though, the goal can be smaller. Let the last ten minutes belong to you.