Introducing Date Night: A New Way to Wind Down Together – with Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East

What if the best part of your day was the last five minutes?

That’s the idea behind Date Night, a new nightly series on Hatch+, hosted by Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East and former NFL player Andrew East. The show reimagines bedtime as a moment to connect — not just to unwind, but to share something small and meaningful before sleep.

Reclaiming the End of the Day

In a world where “just one more scroll” has become the norm, Date Night offers an alternative: five-minute “micro-dates” designed to help couples put their phones away and actually enjoy the quiet moments before bed. This nightly ritual is a gentle reminder that connection doesn’t have to take hours — just a few mindful minutes.

Each episode introduces a new way to connect — think playful trivia, gratitude prompts, gentle stretches, or mini meditations. The idea isn’t to add something new to your to-do list, but to make winding down together feel easy, lighthearted, and intentional.

As Shawn and Andrew put it:

“It’s an easy way to say, ‘No more tech. This is our time.’”

Meet Shawn & Andrew

Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East are more than hosts — they’re real-life partners navigating love, parenthood, and everything in between. Known for their openness and humor, they’ve built a community through their Couple Things podcast and YouTube series, sharing both the chaos and joy of married life.

With Date Night, they bring that same candid, down-to-earth energy to bedtime. Here’s what Shawn had to say about their experience making Date Night with Hatch in a recent interview with E! News.

“This was such a clever and fun way to be like, ‘OK, set your phone down, turn on the little five-minute micro-date, there are ones where you don’t have to talk to each other, and ones where you do something ridiculous—like a stretch.”

Andrew added, “We thought, man, it’d be so fun to do these little micro-dates. Even if no one else listened, we’d still love doing them ourselves.”

Why It Matters: The Hidden Cost of Screens at Bedtime

Bringing your phone to bed might seem harmless, but research shows it can quietly chip away at both your relationship and your rest. 

1. Phones can make partners feel unseen.
“Phubbing” — the act of ignoring your partner in favor of your phone — has been linked in multiple studies to negative relationship outcomes. A recent meta-analysis showed that partner phubbing correlates with lower relationship satisfaction, reduced emotional closeness, and increased conflict. Even the perception that your partner is more focused on their device can cause frustration and disconnection.

2. Emotional neglect, in microdoses.
When someone feels “phubbed,” they’re more likely to feel affection-deprived — as if they’re competing with a screen for attention. Over time, that can lead to less warmth and more emotional distance.

3. Stress and poor sleep go hand in hand.
The emotional tension of divided attention doesn’t just affect connection—it can also interfere with relaxation and sleep quality. A distracted or stressful bedtime routine makes it harder to truly rest. That’s why it’s important to let things go before lights out—don’t go to bed angry.

4. Presence is powerful.
Even when a phone isn’t in use, its mere presence on the nightstand can interrupt intimacy. Researchers call this “technoference” — a quiet reminder that attention is split. Removing it helps couples feel more present and at ease.

A Peek Inside Date Night

Each episode of Date Night is crafted to make connecting feel effortless. Whether it’s a gratitude exercise, a quick game, or a shared reflection, the goal is the same: to end the day with calm, laughter, and closeness — not more scrolling.

Here’s a glimpse of what you might find:

• Trivia: Team up for fun, themed questions.
• Gratitude: Appreciate the little things together.
• Meditation: Take a few breaths and let the day go.
• Build-A-Dream: Imagine your shared dream life.
• Bed Stretching: Loosen up with a gentle stretch.
• Mind Meld: See how in-sync you really are.
• Lights Out: End with a flirty question before sleep.
• Would We Rather: Debate playful “what ifs.”

Five minutes. One episode. A better way to end the day — together.

Complete the Experience

To make Date Night a full nightly ritual, Hatch+ has released two companion sounds:

• Date Night Cue to set the mood before you start
• Waking Up Together Alarm to start your morning in sync

How to Listen

Find the full Date Night series only on Hatch+, and preview an episode here.

References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S074756321930175X

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0265407521991925