Bedtime inconsistency in middle childhood is associated with lower behavioral self-regulation, task persistence, and homework completion, as well as broader family and school contextual factors, suggesting that 'bedtime inconsistency reflects both school-based behavioral functioning and broader family context.'
Key Findings
Results
Low homework completion was associated with significantly higher odds of bedtime inconsistency in the fully adjusted model.
Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for low homework completion was 1.72, indicating 72% higher odds of bedtime inconsistency compared to adequate homework completion.
This association remained significant after controlling for all other variables in the model.
Data were drawn from the 2022-2024 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) with N = 46,149 US children aged 6-11 years.
The overall model was statistically significant: Wald F(16, 43,084) = 36.53, p < 0.001.
Results
Low task persistence was associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency in the fully adjusted model.
Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for low task persistence was 1.69, the second strongest school engagement predictor in the fully adjusted model.
This association remained significant after sequential adjustment for household, school context, adverse childhood experiences, caregiving factors, and demographics.
Sample included US children aged 6-11 years (N = 46,149) from the 2022-2024 National Survey of Children's Health.
Results
Low behavioral self-regulation was associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency in the fully adjusted model.
Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for low behavioral self-regulation was 1.41.
This remained a significant predictor after full adjustment for all covariates including family structure, adverse childhood experiences, and caregiving factors.
Sequential logistic regression models were used to examine these associations.
Results
Perceived school unsafety was associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency prior to full model adjustment.
Perceived school unsafety was identified among the significant predictors in models prior to the fully adjusted model.
It was listed alongside family structure, adverse childhood experiences, lack of caregiver emotional support, parenting stress, and older age as associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency.
The association was identified in sequential regression steps before full covariate adjustment.
Results
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency.
ACEs were identified as a significant predictor of bedtime inconsistency in the sequential logistic regression models.
ACEs were included alongside family structure, parenting stress, and lack of caregiver emotional support as part of the broader family context predictors.
The association was identified across sequential model steps examining household and school context, caregiving factors, and demographics.
Results
Lack of caregiver emotional support and parenting stress were associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency.
Both lack of caregiver emotional support and parenting stress were significantly associated with bedtime inconsistency in the sequential regression models.
These caregiving factors were examined alongside family structure and adverse childhood experiences.
The study used the 2022-2024 National Survey of Children's Health, a national US sample of children aged 6-11 years (N = 46,149).
Results
Older age within middle childhood was associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency.
Older age among children aged 6-11 years was associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency.
Age was included as a demographic covariate in the sequential logistic regression models.
This association was noted among the significant predictors before full model adjustment.
Results
The overall explanatory power of the fully adjusted model was modest.
Nagelkerke R² = 0.126 for the fully adjusted model.
The authors characterized model explanatory power as 'modest,' indicating that the identified predictors explain only a limited proportion of variance in bedtime inconsistency.
The full model included school engagement variables, self-regulation, household and school context, adverse childhood experiences, caregiving factors, and demographics.
Results
Family structure was associated with higher odds of bedtime inconsistency.
Family structure was identified as a significant predictor of bedtime inconsistency in the sequential logistic regression models.
It was grouped with adverse childhood experiences, caregiving factors, and school context as part of the broader family context examined.
The study used a national US sample (N = 46,149) from the 2022-2024 National Survey of Children's Health.
What This Means
This research suggests that irregular bedtimes among elementary school-aged children (ages 6-11) are linked to how well children function at school and how supportive their home environment is. Using a large, nationally representative sample of over 46,000 US children surveyed between 2022 and 2024, researchers found that children who had trouble completing homework, staying on task, and managing their behavior were significantly more likely to have inconsistent bedtimes. Children who perceived their school as unsafe, experienced adverse childhood experiences, lived in certain family structures, or had caregivers experiencing high stress or low emotional availability were also more likely to have irregular sleep schedules.
In the most rigorous statistical analysis (controlling for all other factors simultaneously), the three school-related predictors — low homework completion, low task persistence, and low behavioral self-regulation — remained independently associated with bedtime inconsistency, with children scoring low on these measures being 41% to 72% more likely to have irregular bedtimes. However, the overall model explained only about 12.6% of the variation in bedtime consistency, suggesting that many other unmeasured factors also play a role.
This research suggests that bedtime regularity in children is not simply a household routine issue but is intertwined with how children engage at school and the broader stressors families face. The findings point to the potential value of coordinated strategies between families and schools — such as supporting children's behavioral regulation and reducing family stress — as ways to promote more consistent sleep routines, which are known to benefit children's health and development.
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Knowlden A, Flora S. (2026). Bedtime Consistency in Middle Childhood: Associations With School Engagement and Family Context in a National US Sample.. The Journal of school health. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.70163