Every night, Sebastian Soto gets ready for bed. He brushes his teeth. He puts on his pajamas. And he travels back to a simpler time. 

“I cannot go to sleep if I’m not watching ‘Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,’ ” said Mr. Soto. He’s usually out after 10 minutes. 

Mr. Soto, 34 years old, discovered several years ago the lulling effect that the entertainment of his youth can have on him, a security blanket atop his regular ones. When he introduced his husband, a fellow 34-year-old, to the ritual, he was relieved to learn it wouldn’t be a relationship deal breaker.

“He can’t go to sleep without watching ‘Friends,’ ” Mr. Soto said.