The science of winding down

The hour before sleep is busier than it looks. As the evening dims, a child's body starts a slow handover — from the alert, busy daytime system to the calm one that lets sleep arrive.

Light is the loudest signal

Bright, blue-rich light tells the brain it's still daytime and delays the drowsy hormones that bring on sleep. Softer, warmer light does the opposite. It's why a dim room often does more than any single bedtime trick.

Winding down isn't a moment — it's a gradual dimmer switch, and we can help it along.

Calm in, not stimulation in

Fast, flashing, reward-driven screens keep the alert system switched on. A slow story with a clear ending lets it switch off. The goal in that final hour is fewer inputs, softer ones, and a predictable path toward lights-out — so sleep feels less like a stop and more like a landing.