Red Light for Sleep: Enhance Bedroom Relaxation & Quality

About the author

Evelyn Reed, M.S.

Health Science EducatorCertified Wellness Coach

Evelyn Reed, M.S., is a Health Science Educator and Certified Wellness Coach specializing in evidence-based, at-home wellness solutions. With a Master's degree in Health Science, she focuses on translating complex scientific research on cellular health and light therapy into practical, accessible protocols. Evelyn is dedicated to empowering individuals to manage pain, improve sleep, and enhance skin vitality. Her science-first, empathetic approach makes her a trusted advocate for achieving long-term health goals.

Falling asleep should feel like sliding into a warm, safe harbor. For many people I work with, it feels more like slamming on the brakes after a day spent staring at screens and juggling responsibilities. They are curious about red light because they have heard it might “hack” melatonin, fix insomnia, and turn their bedroom into a recovery suite.

The truth is more hopeful and more nuanced. Red light can be a powerful ally for relaxation, mood, and nighttime comfort, but it is not a magic sleep switch. The scientific literature includes promising findings, marketing claims, and some real cautions, especially when red light is used at the wrong time or intensity.

In this article, I will walk you through what the research actually says, how I help people integrate red light into a realistic bedroom routine, and where to be careful so you support your body’s rhythms rather than fight them.

Why Light Color Matters So Much At Night

Your body runs on a roughly twenty‑four‑hour internal clock called the circadian rhythm. This clock helps determine when you feel sleepy or alert, how your hormones pulse, and even how your metabolism responds to food. Light is the main signal that sets and shifts that clock.

Public health guidance from organizations such as the CDC explains that blue‑rich light, the kind that comes from daylight, many LEDs, fluorescent bulbs, televisions, computers, tablets, and cell phones, is especially powerful in the evening. Exposure during a sensitive period before bed makes it harder to fall asleep and can push your wake‑up time earlier than you want. Blue light strongly suppresses melatonin, the hormone that signals “biological night.”

By contrast, longer‑wavelength red light has a weaker effect on melatonin. Summaries of sleep science from the Sleep Foundation and Healthline note that red or warm‑dim lighting is generally less disruptive to the circadian system than bright white or blue light, especially when used at low intensity. Lab data show that short‑wavelength light can suppress melatonin by about half relative to dim light, while long‑wavelength red light at similar brightness produces minimal suppression.

Here is the key nuance. Red light is “less bad” for melatonin at night than blue‑rich light. That does not automatically mean any red light will deepen your sleep. As we will see, timing, brightness, and duration make a real difference.

What Exactly Is Red Light Therapy?

When people say “red light” in a bedroom context, they often mix together two different things: therapeutic red light devices and simple red‑colored bulbs. They are not the same.

Red light therapy, also called photobiomodulation or low‑level light therapy, uses specific wavelengths of red and near‑infrared light, typically in the range of about 600 to 1,000 nanometers. Clinics like MG Sports Massage, Oceanside Mental Health, Vitality RLT, and medical summaries from News‑Medical describe how these wavelengths penetrate skin and underlying tissue, where they are absorbed by mitochondria, the energy centers of your cells.

When mitochondrial enzymes such as cytochrome c oxidase absorb this light, they increase production of ATP, improve local circulation and nitric oxide signaling, reduce certain pro‑inflammatory chemicals, and support tissue repair. In practice, that can translate into better muscle recovery, reduced joint pain, calmer skin, and possibly changes in brain function and mood.

Research over the last decade has explored red and near‑infrared light for depression, anxiety, stress, cognitive performance, and sleep. Mental health clinics that integrate red light, like ORCA Mental Health, position it as a complementary tool within broader programs that still rely on psychotherapy, medication when appropriate, and lifestyle change. Articles from Vitality RLT describe red light as non‑invasive and medication‑free, with potential to support neurogenesis, brain‑derived neurotrophic factor, and resilience, but consistently emphasize that evidence is emerging and not yet definitive.

Red light therapy versus simple red lighting

In bedrooms, there are three common “red” options.

The first is a therapeutic red or red‑near‑infrared device. These are panels, lamps, or beds that emit specific wavelengths at controlled intensities. MG Sports Massage and Mito Red Light describe using them for about ten to thirty minutes per session, a few times per week, for several weeks. These devices are usually marketed for wellness, not as approved treatments for insomnia, and many are classified as Class II wellness devices rather than medical cures.

The second is red‑tinted ambient lighting. Calm’s sleep guidance distinguishes ordinary bulbs or LED strips that glow red from true therapy devices. Red‑tinted bulbs change the mood of a room and cut down on blue light, but they generally do not deliver the same narrow therapeutic wavelengths or intensities used in clinical studies.

The third is incidental red light, such as indicator LEDs or decorative lights, which may be brighter than you realize and can stay on for hours while you sleep.

From a sleep and recovery standpoint, each behaves differently. Therapy devices deliver a relatively intense, short‑term exposure, usually while you are awake. Ambient red‑tinted light, when kept dim, is mainly about creating a calmer environment and reducing blue light. Incidental red light, if it is bright and on all night, can interfere with your circadian system even if it feels gentle on your eyes.

How red and near‑infrared light interact with your body

Beyond the mitochondrial effects already described, several sources outline pathways through which red light might influence sleep and relaxation.

An article from MG Sports Massage explains that red light can support natural melatonin production, unlike evening blue light, and may help align the sleep–wake cycle when used at appropriate times, typically in the evening. They also describe reductions in systemic inflammation and pain, which can remove physical barriers to comfortable sleep.

Mito Red Light highlights research and user reports suggesting that red light exposure in the evening may smooth out melatonin regulation, reduce “sleep inertia” or morning grogginess, and support more restorative sleep. They point to a small study in athletes who used about thirty minutes of red light nightly for two weeks and reported better sleep quality, endurance, and morning energy.

Oceanside Mental Health and Vitality RLT emphasize additional mental‑health mechanisms: early studies suggest red and near‑infrared light may lower cortisol, support serotonin and endorphin release, and shift the nervous system toward a “rest and digest” state. These mechanisms are plausible and consistent with basic physiology, but most supporting trials are small and heterogeneous, so we must treat them as promising, not proven.

Red light therapy infographic: person by panel, red light stimulates cellular energy for mood, relaxation, and sleep.

How Red Light Might Support Relaxation and Sleep

When I help people build a red‑light plan for their bedroom, I focus on four main potential benefits: circadian support, calming the stress response, reducing pain and inflammation, and improving mood and daytime energy. Each has some research behind it, and each has caveats.

Melatonin and circadian rhythm support

Several wellness and clinical sources, including MG Sports Massage, Mito Red Light, Oceanside Mental Health, CaloSpa’s CaloWellness program, and News‑Medical, describe red light as a way to encourage natural melatonin release and gently support circadian alignment. The logic is that because red wavelengths suppress melatonin far less than blue or white light, using them in the evening may allow your body’s internal clock to stay closer to its natural timing.

Small human studies provide mixed support. A widely cited trial in about twenty female basketball players found that thirty minutes of red light therapy at night for two weeks was associated with improved self‑reported sleep quality, higher melatonin, and better endurance. Healthline and CNN both reference this study and note its limitations: the sample was tiny, all participants were young athletes, and the placebo control was relatively weak.

On the other hand, a randomized sleep‑lab study of 114 adults, including both healthy sleepers and people meeting criteria for insomnia disorder, found that an hour of pre‑bedtime red light increased alertness and negative mood compared with both white light and darkness. In healthy participants, red light shortened the time to fall asleep compared with white light, yet compared with sleeping in darkness it fragmented sleep, reduced total sleep time, and lowered sleep efficiency. In the insomnia group, red light outperformed white light for some metrics but still produced worse sleep than darkness. The authors explicitly cautioned against assuming that red nighttime lighting is benign or sleep‑promoting.

Animal work adds more nuance. A rat study looking at chronic low‑intensity red light at night, around eight lux, showed that long‑term exposure across the entire dark phase significantly dampened melatonin levels around the clock and disrupted the normal daily rhythms of metabolic hormones and markers. This directly challenges the idea that long‑wavelength red light is automatically “circadian safe.”

Another mouse study in a Nature journal examined different intensities of red and white light at night. Both red and white light at twenty lux or higher decreased wakefulness, increased NREM and REM sleep during the dark period, and disrupted sleep–wake architecture. When intensity was lowered to ten lux, red light no longer changed the amount or pattern of sleep compared with darkness, while white light still caused measurable disruption. The researchers concluded that red light at or above twenty lux at night clearly disturbs sleep behavior in mice, while ten‑lux red appeared behaviorally safe but still altered EEG brain‑wave patterns.

In horses, an equine study summarized in ScienceDirect found that low‑intensity red light at night seemed to allow the normal nocturnal rise of melatonin, unlike brighter white light. Together, these findings suggest that species, intensity, and exposure duration all matter.

For a human bedroom, that means darkness is still best for sleep whenever it is safe and practical. If you need some illumination for safety, very dim red or amber light may be less disruptive than bright white or blue, but a room bathed in bright red for long periods is unlikely to be sleep neutral.

Calming the stress response

Chronic stress and the overactive “fight or flight” response are common threads in the stories of people who struggle to unwind at night. Emerging clinical and wellness literature suggests red light may help nudge the nervous system toward calm.

MG Sports Massage reports that red light exposure can lower cortisol and promote relaxation, making it easier for the body to transition into rest and recovery mode. Mito Red Light frames this as supporting parasympathetic activity, the “rest and digest” branch of the autonomic nervous system, which can decrease muscle tension and ease the wired‑but‑tired state that keeps people in bed with racing thoughts.

Oceanside Mental Health notes early evidence that red light may support serotonin and endorphin release, easing anxiety and chronic stress symptoms. Vitality RLT similarly describes red light as a tool to promote relaxation and manage stress‑related conditions by improving mitochondrial function and neuroplasticity in brain regions involved in mood.

Importantly, these providers all present red light as one part of a comprehensive mental‑health approach. Oceanside explicitly states that it should not replace psychotherapy, psychiatry, or other evidence‑based treatments, and Vitality RLT describes it as an adjunct to personalized mental health strategies rather than a stand‑alone cure.

Pain, inflammation, and nighttime comfort

Even if your mind is calm, an aching back, throbbing joints, or muscle soreness can fragment your sleep. Here, the evidence for red light is stronger than it is for insomnia itself.

News‑Medical’s review of photobiomodulation highlights robust data for skin and tissue healing, pain reduction, and improved circulation. MG Sports Massage describes using red light to reduce inflammation, boost lymphatic clearance, and speed recovery after exercise or injury. CaloSpa’s CaloWellness program positions whole‑body red light beds as tools to decrease joint pain, muscle soreness, and swelling.

When pain is less intense, lying in bed becomes more comfortable, and people often wake up less frequently. That is an indirect but very real pathway by which red light can improve sleep quality, especially in older adults with arthritis, athletes with high training loads, or people with autoimmune conditions and chronic pain.

Mood, brain function, and feeling restored

Several sources link red light to mood and cognitive benefits, which matter because depression, anxiety, and brain fog frequently travel with poor sleep.

Vitality RLT, summarizing mental‑health research, notes that red and near‑infrared light may help regulate neurotransmitters involved in mood, support neurogenesis, and increase brain‑derived neurotrophic factor. Early trials suggest benefits for depression, anxiety, and cognitive performance, though sample sizes are usually under one hundred and protocols vary widely.

Mito Red Light describes transcranial applications, where panels or caps are placed near the scalp to deliver light to the brain. User reports include more stable mood, less stress and tension, clearer focus, and easier sleep onset. Oceanside Mental Health positions red light as a way to support daytime energy, focus, and resilience when paired with therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness.

From a bedroom standpoint, the most reliable expectation is this: if red light therapy helps you manage pain, calm your nervous system, and stabilize your mood during the day and evening, you are more likely to experience deeper and more restorative sleep at night, even if red light is not a direct sedative.

Woman meditating in a red light bedroom for relaxation, promoting better sleep and melatonin.

When Red Light Can Backfire For Sleep

Because red light is often marketed as “sleep friendly,” it is important to be very clear about cases where it may do the opposite, especially when misused.

Human sleep‑lab evidence

The randomized study of 114 adults already mentioned offers a crucial caution. Participants spent an hour before bedtime under either red light, white light, or darkness. Compared with the other conditions, red light increased negative mood in healthy participants and increased both anxiety and negative affect in those with insomnia disorder. People under red light felt more alert, not more sleepy, on standard sleepiness scales.

Objectively, red light shortened the time to fall asleep compared with white light, but the quality of sleep suffered. Healthy individuals exposed to red light had more light sleep, more micro‑arousals, shorter total sleep time, and lower sleep efficiency than those who fell asleep in darkness. In participants with insomnia, red light beat white light on some measures but still produced longer time awake after sleep onset and lower efficiency than darkness.

The researchers concluded that red light before bed is not harmless and that “no light” is better than red when the goal is to prevent or alleviate insomnia. Their message echoes the broader consensus from experts interviewed by CNN: red light may be less harmful than bright white or blue light, but minimizing all artificial light at night remains the gold standard for sleep.

Animal studies on red light at night

The rat red‑safelight study adds weight to this conclusion. Animals kept in a twelve‑hour light, twelve‑hour dark cycle but with low‑intensity red light throughout the dark phase showed significantly lower melatonin around the clock and disrupted rhythms in glucose, fatty acids, insulin, leptin, and stress hormones. These changes suggest that chronic red light at night can disturb not only sleep but also metabolic health.

The Nature mouse study on red and white light at different intensities showed a similar pattern. Red and white light at twenty lux or above disturbed sleep–wake architecture and EEG power. Ten‑lux red light behaved more like darkness in terms of sleep amount and structure, though it still changed brain‑wave patterns. Combined with evidence in horses that very dim red light may preserve melatonin, these findings support a simple guideline: the brighter and longer the red light at night, the more likely it is to disrupt physiology.

What this means for real bedrooms

Taken together, the human and animal data suggest several practical rules.

First, keep your actual sleep environment as dark as you safely can. Use red light as a brief pre‑bed tool, not as a substitute for turning the lights off.

Second, avoid long exposures to bright red light in the hour directly before sleep. That includes leaving a therapy panel on while you lie in bed or keeping the room bathed in intense red.

Third, if you need light for safety, choose the lowest brightness that allows you to move around without tripping, and favor red or amber over cool white. Sleep Foundation and Healthline both recommend dim red or warm lights placed low to the ground for night‑lights, with brightness just high enough to prevent falls.

Red light sleep disruption: man in bed, suppressed melatonin, altered sleep cycles, poor sleep quality.

Practical Ways To Use Red Light In Your Bedroom

Within those boundaries, red light can be a powerful anchor for a calmer, more intentional evening. Here is how I usually help people structure it, based strictly on the kinds of protocols described by Calm, Mito Red Light, MG Sports Massage, and other sources.

Start by protecting your natural sleep drive

Red light works best on top of basic sleep hygiene, not instead of it. Articles from CWC Family Chiropractic and the Sleep Foundation emphasize the fundamentals: follow a consistent sleep and wake time, even on weekends, keep your bedroom cool, comfortable, and as dark and quiet as practical, and avoid caffeine, heavy or sugary meals, and alcohol close to bedtime.

Screen management is critical. CDC and multiple wellness sources recommend avoiding blue‑light‑emitting screens in the sensitive pre‑sleep period, especially if you already struggle with sleep. A practical goal is to put away phones, tablets, and laptops about an hour before bed, or at least engage night modes and blue‑light‑reduction settings and dim the brightness. Replacing scrolling with a book, stretching, or a brief meditation can make a larger difference than any device.

Using red‑tinted ambient lighting in the evening

If your bedroom or living room is currently lit by bright overhead LEDs, consider shifting to dimmer, warmer light in the last one to two hours before bed. Calm’s guidance suggests using red‑tinted lamps or bulbs in the evening to create a softer, less stimulating environment. Red‑tinted ambient light is not the same as red light therapy, but it does three useful things: it reduces blue light exposure, signals to your brain that the day is winding down, and creates a psychologically soothing atmosphere.

The key is to keep intensity low. You might switch off overhead lights, turn on a small lamp with a red or amber bulb, and position it away from direct eye level. If you get up at night, use a similar low‑placed, dim light so you can see without jolting yourself fully awake.

Timing and dosing a bedroom red light therapy session

Therapy‑grade red light should be treated like a short, deliberate session, not a background glow. Both Mito Red Light and MG Sports Massage converge on a similar pattern. They recommend consistent sessions two or three times per week for several weeks, with many users reporting improvements in sleep and pain after roughly four to six sessions, and stronger effects with continued use. For sleep support, they suggest using a red light device for about twenty to thirty minutes in the evening, ideally one to two hours before bed, and ending the session at least thirty minutes before you try to sleep.

In practice, that might look like this. You dim your normal lights about ninety minutes before your target bedtime. During the next thirty minutes, you sit or stand at the recommended distance from your red light panel, exposing areas you want to target such as the face, neck, chest, or sore muscles. You keep screen use to a minimum, perhaps listening to a calming audio or simply breathing. When the session ends, you switch back to dim, warm room lighting and continue your wind‑down without turning on bright lights again.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions for distance and duration is important; more is not always better. The human insomnia study showed that a full hour of red light right before bed can make people more alert and anxious. Staying within the shorter, earlier evening window described by wellness providers is a reasonable way to honor both promising and cautionary evidence.

A sample wind‑down routine with red light

To tie everything together, imagine an evening built around both science and self‑care. After dinner, you avoid heavy snacks and caffeine. About ninety minutes before bedtime, you dim overhead lights and switch on a small red‑tinted lamp in the living room. You silence nonessential notifications and put your phone out of arm’s reach.

You start a twenty‑minute red light therapy session, perhaps standing in front of a panel or lying on a mat, while listening to gentle music or a guided breathing exercise. When the session ends, you switch the device off completely, keep the room lighting low, and spend the next half hour reading a paper book, stretching, or journaling. When you finally go to bed, the room is dark, quiet, and cool, and any night‑light is as dim as possible and located away from your face.

This kind of routine leverages red light as a cue and a supportive therapy without letting it become another source of stimulation late at night.

Night‑lights, kids, and safety

For some households, complete darkness is not realistic. Parents of young children, people with balance concerns, or anyone who needs to get up frequently may feel safer with a night‑light. Sleep experts and health writers from CNN, Healthline, and the Sleep Foundation agree on a reasonable compromise: if you need light, keep it dim and warm. A small red or amber night‑light near the floor, just bright enough to navigate the room, is preferable to a bright overhead fixture or a streaming television.

At the same time, remember the lab data on rodents and the human insomnia study. Even low‑intensity light can have subtle effects on hormones and brain activity. If you experiment with red night‑lights, aim for the lowest intensity that still keeps you safe and consider motion‑activated options that stay off most of the time.

Pros And Cons Of Bedroom Red Light

A clear view of advantages and limitations helps keep expectations realistic. The table below synthesizes the research notes discussed so far.

Aspect	Potential upside	Evidence snapshot	Key limitations or risks
Blue‑light reduction and ambience	Red‑tinted evening lighting reduces blue exposure and creates a calmer mood, which can support winding down.	CDC and Sleep Foundation emphasize blue light as a major circadian disruptor; Calm and CWC chiropractic recommend red or warm lighting in the hour before bed.	Any light at night can still be alerting; overly bright red lighting or long exposure close to bedtime may worsen sleep, as suggested by a randomized human study.
Targeted red light therapy for sleep	Short evening sessions may support natural melatonin patterns, ease sleep inertia, and improve self‑reported sleep in some people.	Small trials in athletes found better sleep quality and melatonin after nightly red light sessions; MG Sports Massage and Mito Red Light report client experiences of deeper sleep over four to six sessions or ten to fourteen days.	Evidence base is small, with highly specific populations; one randomized study in insomnia showed red light worsened sleep compared with darkness; optimal dose and timing are not standardized.
Pain and inflammation relief	Red light reduces inflammation and pain, making bed more comfortable and reducing night‑time awakenings due to discomfort.	News‑Medical, MG Sports Massage, and CaloSpa cite clinical data for faster muscle recovery, joint pain relief, and decreased inflammation.	Benefits depend on underlying condition and consistent use; devices and protocols vary; red light is supportive but not a cure for chronic pain.
Stress and mood support	Red light may lower cortisol, support serotonin and endorphins, and promote a calmer nervous system.	Oceanside Mental Health, Vitality RLT, Mito Red Light, and Apex Chiropractic all describe early evidence for mood and stress benefits as part of holistic care.	Most studies are small and early; red light is not a replacement for therapy or medication; overreliance on devices can delay seeking needed mental‑health care.
Safety and convenience	Non‑invasive, generally well‑tolerated, and can be used at home.	News‑Medical and multiple clinic sites describe red light as safe for regular or even daily use when properly dosed.	People who are pregnant, have epilepsy, take photosensitizing medications, or have serious eye conditions should speak with a clinician first; long‑term brain exposure via transcranial use still lacks extensive safety data.
Circadian integrity	Very dim red night‑lights may preserve more melatonin than white or blue lights when some light is unavoidable.	Equine and rodent studies suggest low‑intensity red light disrupts rhythms less than white; Sleep Foundation and CNN advise red or amber night‑lights over bright white.	Rat and mouse research shows that even red light around eight to twenty lux, when used all night, can alter melatonin and metabolic rhythms; in humans, one hour of red light pre‑sleep worsened sleep versus darkness.

Red light lamp in a bedroom, outlining pros & cons for sleep quality.

Safety, Contraindications, and Smart Expectations

Most wellness and clinical sources agree that red light therapy is generally safe when used appropriately. At the same time, manufacturers such as Mito Red Light recommend caution for certain groups: people who are pregnant, have a history of seizures or epilepsy, or take medications that increase light sensitivity should talk to a healthcare provider before starting. People with serious eye disease or recent eye surgery likewise need professional guidance, especially if light will be near the face.

Mental health providers like Oceanside Mental Health emphasize that red light should be a complement, not a substitute, for established treatments. If you live with significant depression, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic insomnia, do not discontinue therapy, medication, or medical evaluation in favor of light devices. For persistent sleep problems that do not improve with good sleep hygiene, experts interviewed by CNN and organizations like the Sleep Foundation advise consulting a sleep specialist rather than relying solely on red light as a “sleep hack.”

Regulatory status also matters. News‑Medical notes that many red light devices on the market are cleared for specific uses such as pain relief or skin rejuvenation, but not for treating insomnia, depression, or other psychiatric diagnoses. Marketing language often runs ahead of the evidence. That does not mean red light cannot help you; it does mean your expectations should be modest and your approach cautious.

A good rule of thumb is to view red light as a gentle nudge in the right direction rather than the main driver. Your sleep will still be shaped most strongly by consistency, light and dark exposure, stress management, movement, and underlying health conditions.

Red light therapy safety, contraindications, and realistic expectations for sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions About Red Light And Sleep

Is red light better than darkness for sleep?

No. For most people, true darkness is still the most supportive environment for deep, continuous sleep. Research in humans shows that an hour of pre‑bed red light can increase alertness and negative mood and fragment sleep compared with sleeping in darkness. Where red light shines is in being less disruptive than bright white or blue light when some illumination is needed. If safety or caregiving demands a night‑light, a very dim red or amber light is a reasonable compromise, but darkness remains the ideal when you are actually trying to sleep.

Can I sleep all night with a red light on?

The weight of the evidence suggests you probably should not, at least not at moderate or high brightness. Rat studies with low‑intensity red light on throughout the night report suppressed melatonin and disrupted metabolic rhythms. Mouse research finds that twenty lux red light during the dark phase alters sleep architecture; even at ten lux, red light changes EEG patterns. In humans, having any light on during sleep tends to reduce sleep depth and efficiency. If you must have light, keep a red or amber source as dim as possible, positioned away from your face, and consider motion‑sensing options that turn on only when you move.

How quickly will I notice changes in sleep from red light therapy?

Experiences vary widely. MG Sports Massage reports that many clients notice improvements in sleep and pain within roughly four to six sessions, usually across two to three weeks. Mito Red Light notes that users often see their best sleep and stress‑relief results when they use a device three times per week or nightly for about ten to fourteen days, maintaining consistency. These timelines come from small samples and client reports, not large clinical trials, so they should be treated as general patterns rather than guarantees. If you choose to experiment, give a consistent routine at least a couple of weeks while also tending to the basics: schedule, screens, stress, and environment.

A Compassionate Closing

Red light can be a thoughtful ally in your bedroom: a way to soften harsh evening lighting, soothe an overactive nervous system, and ease the aches that keep you tossing and turning. The strongest science still supports darkness, regular rhythms, and foundational sleep hygiene as the pillars of real rest, with red light layered carefully on top. If you approach it with curiosity, respect for your body’s signals, and a willingness to adjust based on how you actually feel, you can let light work with your biology instead of against it and make your bedroom a more genuinely restorative place.