Inadequate sleep could serve as an early warning sign of suicide risk among adolescents, according to new research.
Teenagers who didn’t get sufficient sleep on school nights or experienced disrupted sleep patterns faced significantly elevated suicide risk, researchers reported on October 23 in the journal Sleep Advances.
Lead researcher Michaela Pawley, a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University of Warwick in the U.K., explained: “Adolescents who experience difficulties maintaining and obtaining sufficient sleep are more likely to report a suicide attempt several years later.”
Pawley emphasized in a news release: “Poor sleep is not just a symptom of wider difficulties, but a significant risk factor in its own right. Addressing sleep problems could form a vital part of suicide prevention strategies.”
Study Details
Researchers analyzed data from more than 8,500 young people enrolled in a long-term study of children born between 2000 and 2002.
The findings revealed that sleep difficulties at age 14 correlated with increased likelihood of suicide attempts by age 17, even after researchers controlled for other established suicide risk factors.
Notably, poor sleep emerged as a stronger predictor than depressive symptoms or other recognized risk factors, researchers reported.
Potential Mechanisms
Sleep deprivation might heighten impulsivity in teenagers, researchers suggested.
The study noted that teens with stronger decision-making abilities appeared initially protected against the effects of poor sleep on suicide risk.
Senior researcher Nicole Tang, director of the Warwick Sleep and Pain Lab, stated in a news release: “We need to recognize that sleep deprivation and fragmentation are not trivial complaints – they can wear your defenses down and drive actions or behaviors that have life-or-death consequences.”
Tang added: “If we can better identify and support teenagers struggling with sleep, we may be able to reduce suicide attempts.”
Future Research Needed
Additional studies are necessary to more fully understand the mechanisms through which sleep problems influence suicide risk in adolescents, the research team noted.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. It is available 24 hours a day.