Procedures
To achieve mild sleep deprivation, children were asked to go to bed 1 hour earlier than usual for 1 week (sleep extension) and 1 hour later than usual for 1 week (sleep restriction), separated by a 1-week washout to allow sufficient time for children to return to their usual sleeping habits before the next intervention week.Researchers worked with families during a single problem-solving session (typically 5-10 minutes) to identify any barriers to changing bedtimes, such as being at a sporting activity until close to the extension bedtime, that limited the ability to complete prebed activities in a timely fashion. A suggestion to counteract this barrier could have been to prepare the dinner meal earlier that day or to complete school assignments in the morning. Families received daily personalized bedtime text reminders during each intervention week.