Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Polish Language Version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC)

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: In this study, we aimed to validate and psychometrically evaluate a tool for examining sleep disorders in Polish children. <b>Methods</b>: This study involved a randomly selected sample of 348 children aged 6 to 15 years, sourced from preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools in a city with a population exceeding 100,000, in addition to two smaller towns in Poland. Parents were asked to complete the Sleep Disorders Scale for Children (SDSC) in conjunction with a sociodemographic survey. The tool's reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (α), and correlations among various domains were evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (Rs). <b>Results</b>: The study demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the SDSC, with a Cronbach's α value of 0.9. The individual subscales also exhibited acceptable reliability values, ranging from 0.69 to 0.83. Considering T-scores over 70 as indicative of a problem, we identified at least one sleep disorder in 65 participants (18.68%). The most common issues included sleep hyperhidrosis (SHY; 7.47%), disorders of excessive somnolence (DOES; 7.18%), and sleep-wake transition disorders (SWTDs; 5.75%). Students in secondary education were more likely to experience disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS), disorders of arousal (DA), and DOES. <b>Conclusions</b>: Based on our findings, the Polish version of the SDSC may be considered a reliable and effective tool for assessing sleep disturbances in school-age children and adolescents.