Sleep habits and sleep disorders among children with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities and typically developing children in Oman: a case-control study

ABSTRACT

Studies conducted in the West countries suggest that sleep habits and disordered sleep are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To explore the rates of sleep habits and disordered sleep among children with ASD in comparison to typically developing (TD) children, and children with other intellectual disabilities (ID). A case control study was conducted among 122 cases of children with ASD (ASD group), and 2 randomly-selected control groups: 81 children with intellectual disabilities other than ASD (ID group) and 90 typically developed children (TD group). Overall, the mean score of the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire for the ASD group was higher compared to the ID group and TD group which indicated that children with ASD had a lower quality of sleep compared to TD and ID children. Congruent with international trend, children in Oman with ASD performed poorly compared to other children including those with other developmental disorders.

Abbreviations: ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; ASD: autism spectrum disorder; ID: intellectual disabilities; TD: typically developed; DSM-V-TR: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision; SQUH: Sultan Qaboos University Hospital; CSHQ: Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire

KEYWORDS:

• Sleep problems
• parents
• autism
• Oman

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Omar A. Al-Farsi was a PHD student in the Family medicine and public health department (college of medicine and health sciences) at Sultan Qaboos University. Currently, he is working as a director of Information and Statistics department at Ministry of Health.

Dr. Yahya M. Al-Farsi is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health at Sultan Qaboos University. He is also a Consultant Public Health Physician.

Prof. Marwan M. Al-Sharbati is currently a Vice-Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies. He is also a Chair, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the Faculty of Public health at Kuwait University.

Prof. Samir Al-Adawi has been a professor of Behavioral Medicine at College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University since May 2010.

ORCID

Omar A. Al-Farsi http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0645-0155

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by funds from Sultan Qaboos University, His Majesty Strategic Research Grant Fund, grant number SR/MED/FMCO/11/01.