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

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