Evening routines matter more than morning routines. The morning is recoverable from a chaotic start. The night isn't.
The 90-minute wind-down
T-90: end stimulating work. Close the laptop. Stop checking email.
T-75: dim the lights. Switch to lamps, candles, the equivalent of dusk. Light intensity is the primary circadian cue.
T-60: phone away. Blue light suppresses melatonin. Doom-scrolling spikes cortisol.
T-45: calming-compound stack. Magnesium, L-theanine, GABA, apigenin — supports the parasympathetic shift. Drops absorb fast.
T-30: warm transition. Shower or bath, stretch, fiction.
T-0: dark, cool, consistent. Room cool (16–18°C). Blackout. Same time every night.
The short version (15 minutes)
If 90 minutes feels impossible: lights dim, phone away, drops of MHODE OFF, brain dump on paper, read fiction. Done.
What to avoid
- Late caffeine (5–6 hour half-life)
- Late heavy meals
- Late workouts (raise core temp when it should be falling)
- Late alcohol (sedates but wrecks sleep architecture)
MHODE OFF
MHODE OFF at the T-45 step. Non-habit forming.
Food supplement. Not intended to treat or cure.