Suicidal thoughts are linked to sleep deprivation: new study
Research suggests that sleep deprivation may play a role in the risk of suicide among teenagers. Suicide is the leading cause of death among teens aged 15 to 24, and identifying risk factors is crucial for prevention. A recent study found a link between sleep deprivation and thoughts of suicide in high-risk youth.
The study, conducted by researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, interviewed 29 adolescents aged 12-18 who had been admitted to the inpatient psychiatric ward after a suicide attempt or due to suicidal intent within the previous month. Using both subjective and objective sleep pattern assessments, the researchers found a significant association between sleep onset and expressing a desire for death the following day.
The findings indicate that each minute of delayed sleep onset increases the risk of expressing a “death wish” the next day by 6%. Additionally, a decrease in total sleep time was also found to increase the odds of expressing a desire for death the following day.
The researchers emphasize the importance of addressing sleep patterns in the treatment of suicidal youth, and suggest that sleep duration and onset time could serve as targets for intervention.
Additionally, experts have advocated for later school start times to accommodate the sleep needs of teenagers. Inadequate sleep can have negative effects on students’ health and learning abilities, and some states have already implemented later school start times in response to these concerns.
