Psychometric properties of the children's sleep habits questionnaire in children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Background and purpose Sleep disturbances in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are very common. Psychometrically sound instruments are essential to assess these disturbances. Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ) is a widely used measure in ASD. The purpose of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the CSHQ in a sample of children with ASD. Participants and methods Parents/caregivers of 310 children (mean age: 4.7) with ASD completed the CSHQ at study enrollment. Correlations between intelligence quotient (IQ) scores and the original CSHQ scales were calculated. Item endorsement frequencies and percentages were also calculated. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed, and internal consistency was assessed for the newly extracted components. Results Correlations between IQ scores and CSHQ subscales and total scores ranged from .015 to .001 suggesting a weak, if any, association. Item endorsement frequencies were high for bedtime resistance items, but lower for parasomnia and sleep-disordered breathing items. A PCA suggested that a five-component solution best fits the data. Internal consistency of the newly extracted five components ranged α = .87–.50. Conclusions Item endorsement frequencies were highest for bedtime resistance items. A PCA suggested a five-component solution. Three of the five components (Sleep Routine Problems, Insufficient Sleep, and Sleep-onset Association Problems) were types of sleep disturbances commonly reported in ASD, but the other two components (Parasomnia/Sleep-disordered Breathing and Sleep Anxiety) were less clear. Internal consistencies ranged from mediocre to good. Further development of this measure for use in children with ASD is encouraged.