Bedtime becomes difficult when it is treated like a trapdoor. One moment the day is fully lit; the next you are expected to be unconscious. A sequence helps the body notice that the evening is changing.
Three hours before bed, close the kitchen. Two hours before, finish demanding work. One hour before, lower the light and choose something with an ending: one chapter, one episode, one short conversation.
Make the room do some of the work
Put tomorrow’s glass of water by the bed. Leave the book where the phone usually lands. The environment is more persuasive than a promise made at six in the morning.
Rest begins before sleep, in the moment the day is allowed to become smaller.
The sequence is a cue, not a commandment. A late dinner does not ruin the night. Return to the next available step and let the routine remain kind enough to keep.