Teens that don't get enough sleep on a regular basis are at greater risk of having suicidal thoughts and attempting suicide, according to recent studies. Dr. Zianchen Liu of Arizona State University's Prevention Research Center analyzed survey results from 1,362 junior and senior high school students. The surveys questioned the teens about their sleep patterns and their suicidal behavior.

"The students generally reported getting about 7.6 hours of sleep each night. And, study findings show, the less sleep the adolescents had, the more likely they were to report having attempted suicide. Those who slept less than eight hours each night were about three times more likely to attempt suicide than those who slept a minimum of nine hours."

Nightmares also increased the likelihood that teens would have suicidal thoughts - they were twice as likely to consider suicide than teens that didn't experience nightmares. Ideally, adolescents should get nine hours of sleep each night. Parents who know their teens aren't getting enough sleep should watch for signs of depression or anxiety. A parent that notices suicidal warning signs - like a teen giving away prized possessions - should contact a psychologist or psychiatrist right away.

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Labels: sleep, suicide, teens