Why can’t I create a time use variable for the hours of the day I have specified?
The ATUS diary covers a 24-hour period that begins at 4 a.m. on one day and ends at 4 a.m. the next day. In the current version of the data extract builder, users are not permitted to specify a time interval for the time filter to be applied in creating time use variables that begins before 4 a.m. and ends after 4 a.m. To capture the time spent during such an interval, you must create two time use variables, one for the portion of the interval before 4 a.m. and the second for the portion of the interval after 4 a.m. These two variables then may be summed once you have received your data extract.
Suppose, for example, that you are interested in time spent sleeping during the hours between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The data extract builder will not allow you to enter a start time of 11 p.m. and an end time of 7 a.m. for your time filter. Instead, you should create one variable for minutes spent sleeping between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. and then a second variable for minutes spent sleeping between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. The sum of these two variables will equal minutes spent sleeping between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.