# Insomnia & Suicide



## Retired (Apr 7, 2009)

Insomnia and Suicide
HealthDay News
WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2009

New research provides more evidence of a link between sleeplessness and suicidal thoughts or attempts, although it's not clear whether insomnia actually makes people want to kill themselves. 

Still, the findings suggest that "persistent sleep problems might be an important contributor to suicidal thinking," said study author Dr. Marcin Wojnar, a research fellow at the University of Michigan and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Warsaw in Poland.

Researchers have connected insomnia to suicide before. But the new study, said to be the most comprehensive of its kind, looks at the population as a whole, not mentally ill people in particular.

The findings were to be released Wednesday at the World Psychiatric Association International Congress on Treatments in Psychiatry in Florence, Italy. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. 

The researchers looked at the results of a national survey of 5,692 adults taken between 2001 and 2003. 

Overall, about a third of those surveyed reported sleep problems, but only a small number said they'd been suicidal. 

Fewer than 3 percent reported thinking about suicide in the previous year. Fewer than 1 percent said they'd planned suicide, and the number was nearly the same for those who had attempted it.

People who had trouble getting to sleep were 5.1 times more likely than those who didn't to have had thoughts about suicide. They were also 9.1 times more likely to have planned suicide and 7.5 times more likely to have attempted suicide within the past 12 months.

Other kinds of sleeplessness -- waking up too early and having trouble sleeping through the night -- were also linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts.

The links remained even when researchers adjusted their figures to account for the influence of mental illness and chronic health conditions.

Wojnar acknowledged that the study didn't take into account the timing of sleeplessness to determine whether it came before suicidal thoughts or attempts. The study also didnt look at people who committed suicide, nor did it prove a cause-and-effect relationship between suicide and insomnia.

Mental-health experts estimate that many more people -- perhaps 10 to 40 times more -- try to commit suicide than actually kill themselves. 

However, suicide is still a huge problem, taking an estimated 877,000 lives a year, according to the World Health Organization.

Research links anxiety to trouble falling asleep and difficulty sleeping through the night, while early awakening is connected to depression, said Alan Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology.

"For people who are suffering from insomnia over some period of time, it affects all aspects of daily functioning -- the ability to think clearly, to focus and problem solve and synthesize information and make decisions," he said.

Also, insomnia "basically lowers the threshold for impulsive behavior and for being reactive to an emotional event."

What to do? Step in and try to resolve the problem, Berman said. 

"Effective intervention is really important," he said. "Insomnia is something we can observe. People know about it when they're experiencing it and can respond to it."


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## forgetmenot (Apr 7, 2009)

I can understand why insomnia would be linked to suicidal ideation when one doesn't get the sleep they need the brain stops working clearly. Feelings of fatique and despair set in. Intervention is definitely needed. Getting out of the house into the air helps or just going to bed and staying there until rest is obtained. mary


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## Halo (Apr 7, 2009)

Mary said:


> I can understand why insomnia would be linked to suicidal ideation when one doesn't get the sleep they need the brain stops working clearly. Feelings of fatique and despair set in. Intervention is definitely needed. Getting out of the house into the air helps or just going to bed and staying there until rest is obtained. mary



While I agree with some of what you said above, I am wondering how getting out into the air can help someone if they are suffering from insomnia or suicidal thinking?  Wouldn't contacting family, friends, a mental health professional or a crisis line be more effective to prevent the suicidal thinking?


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## forgetmenot (Apr 7, 2009)

Getting out of the house decreases the feelings of loneliness. The air and nature just takes mind off thoughts for awhile.  Eventually if the persons thoughts don't go away then calling for help is advicable. mary


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## Budoaiki (Apr 7, 2009)

In my opinion a bit of fresh air and exercise is good for the mind and the body. I know it has helped me get to sleep and it also helps me to relax when I feel upset.

I have been prescribed sleeping pills, muscle relaxants and I even use a method of self hypnosis which is something like meditation but ultimately I found exercise to be my greatest ally in getting a good nights sleep.

I sometimes suffer from insomnia because of my back and when your lying awake at night trying to get to sleep your mind goes all sorts of places.

It's never caused me to be suicidal but I can see how it could and I think if you find yourself consistently thinking about it when you are tired I think seeking some professional advice would undoubtedly be a good idea.


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## Into The Light (Sep 27, 2009)

lack of sleep always affects mood negatively. this really doesn't surprise me one bit.


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