[notacoward]

Ah, "just" thinking rears it's ugly head again, in the classic vein of over-generalizing from personal experience. "Just go to bed earlier." Why didn't anyone else think of that?

In fact they did. Unfortunately, when kids are loaded up with homework, that's not really possible. Late night, after homework, is often the only time they can socialize or do their own thing. Foregoing that would also be bad for mental health. And even when they do have the option of going to bed earlier (e.g. summer) that doesn't necessarily mean they sleep earlier. My daughter used to lie awake for hours trying to get to sleep; I've heard many similar stories from other parents and children. We don't need to offer facile quick fixes. We need to address the things that prevent good sleep by stressing them out and/or putting demands on their time, whether it's screens and social media or school-related stress.

If "just" going to bed earlier works for you, as it mostly has for me (less so since I hit my later 50s), then good for you. But don't act like it's The Answer for everyone.