Sleep and suicidal behaviors

Suicidal behaviors-including suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide deaths-represent a major global health concern. Identifying proximal, modifiable risk factors is crucial to improve early detection and prevention. Sleep disturbances have emerged as proximal and modifiable risk factor for suicide, yet their role is often underestimated in clinical practice.

This chapter synthesizes evidence from epidemiological, clinical, and neurobiological studies examining the associations between sleep disturbances and suicidal behaviors. Both subjective (insomnia, nightmares, sleep duration, daytime sleepiness) and objective markers (polysomnography, actigraphy, circadian misalignment) are discussed, alongside potential underlying mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives.

Insomnia, nightmares, abnormal sleep duration, and circadian rhythm disruptions are consistently associated with suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide deaths, independently of psychiatric disorders. Objective sleep measures, such as nocturnal wakefulness and REM sleep alterations, further support the association with suicidal risk. Potential mechanisms involve inflammation, neurotransmitter dysregulation, impaired prefrontal-limbic connectivity, and psychosocial factors such as hopelessness and nocturnal isolation. Suicide risk assessment may be strengthened by incorporating sleep-related interview questions, validated questionnaires, and objective sleep measures such as actigraphy. Interventions targeting sleep-including CBT-I, sleep medications, and Imagery Rehearsal Therapy-show promise in reducing suicidal ideation.

Systematic assessment and treatment of sleep disturbances may significantly improve suicide risk detection and prevention strategies.