Sleep continuity, timing, quality, and disorder are associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among college students

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate sleep continuity, timing, quality, and disorder in relation to suicidal ideation and attempts among college students. Participants: Eight hundred eighty-five undergraduates aged 18–25 in the southwestern United States. Methods: Participants completed questionnaires on sleep, suicide risk, mental health, and substance use. Differences in sleep variables were compared by lifetime and recent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts using covariate-adjusted and stepwise regression models. Results: A total of 363 (41.0%) individuals reported lifetime suicidal ideation, of whom 172 (47.4%) reported suicidal ideation in the last 3 months and 97 (26.7%) had attempted suicide in their lifetime. Sleep disturbances were prevalent among those with lifetime suicidal ideation or a lifetime suicide attempt. Insomnia was identified as the best predictor of recent suicidal ideation, but this relationship did not survive adjustment for covariates. Conclusions: Sleep continuity, quality, and sleep disorders are broadly associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors among college students.

Keywords:

• Chronotype
• insomnia
• nightmares
• sleep continuity
• suicide

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of University of Arizona. IRB Protocol number 2005675654.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.