A new study confirms the relationship between sleep deprivation and suicidal thoughts in teens. Countless studies have shown a strong
relationship between lack of sleep and suicidal thoughts, but this is the first which controls for depression. In previous studies there as always been the “…question that if someone is depressed or exposed to other risk factors, does that affect their sleep patterns?” states Dr. Maria Wong professor of Psychology at Idaho State University. Now we are seeing that sleep deprivation in non-depressed teens still puts teens at high risk for having suicidal thoughts.
What can you do?
Parents: Monitor your child’s sleep patterns. Phones are responsible for much of the sleep problems in teens today.Take away or turn off your child’s cell phone at night. Some providers offer features allowing you to deactivate service during certain times.
Schools and Churches: Help students understand the importance of sleep. Be sure to discuss sleep deprivation at any suicide awareness events or activities. Assess (through surveys and informal interviewing) the amount of sleep your young people get. Make parents aware of this data and offer them tips for helping their children get more sleep.
Clinicians: Reinforce the need for parents to take an active role in assuring their children get proper rest. This can be part of a handout you give to parents or directly to older teens and young adults during the intake session labeled as “How to get the most out of Therapy.” Talking to youth about sleep may raise less resistance in teens than talking about depression or suicide directly. It may also serve as a jumping off point to discuss these and other issues.
(photo: husin.sani)
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Heather H. Spivey
Re: Sleep deprivation ands suicide thoughts. There was no mention of the facts that as adolescents begin the physiological changes from late elementary to college, the melatonin levels decrease in the evening creating a “2nd wind”. Their circadian patterns naturally change. They can’t help that they go to sleep later and require 9.25 hours of sleep. It is up to the community as a whole, parents, employers, schools, government to insure that “no child is left behind”. This starts a a grass roots levels. Schools must start later. 7:20 is just far too early for these kids. Santa Cruz High School in California is a model for other schools seeking to make sure they have happy, well educated students. Their start time os 9:45. Less counseling visits, fewer truancies, fewer disciplinary actions, enthusiasm about school, higher graduation rate, more kids graduate and go off to college. 5-7 years of sleep deprivation causes, mental illness, suicide and a plethora of mental and physical side affects. I am sure we have all lost a night or 2 of sleep – how did you feel? Even one of the recent posts on this web site says “We are all responsible for our children”. Think about 7 years sleep deprivation.. Educators, parents and certainly counselors/writers should get the facts straight and make our world village to make change since we are all responsible for our children. What re you doing for your child and their inability to control the natural growth process and hormone fluxuation?
Thanks for commenting Colleen. No article can cover all the angles. Not sure what facts you consider me to not have “straight” but if I misrepresented any, please let me know so that I can correct them.