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 (40.1%) individuals reported lifetime suicidal ideation, of whom 172 (19.4%) 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.