Persons who experience recurring nightmares are at higher risk of suicidality, according to a new research presented at the 37th SLEEP 2023, annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) jointly organized by the Sleep Research Society and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The findings were simultaneously published in the journal Sleep.¹

A subanalysis of the Penn State Child Cohort was conducted to determine a link between occurrence of nightmares and suicidality in young adulthood. The Penn State Child Cohort was a group of 700 children, aged 5-12 at the time of their recruitment, who were examined again during adolescence and young adulthood between 12 years and 23 years of age. For the present study, 257 young adults who had been a part of the Penn State Child Cohort and had completed their follow-up visits ~16 years later were enrolled. The nightmares were self-reported. MINI structured interview, Child Behavior Checklist Adult Self-Report, and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale were used to assess suicide risk.

Out of the 257 participants, 109 participants self-reported nightmares.  The results showed that the rate of suicidality was 29% higher among those who reported nightmares compared to 14% increased risk among participants who did not have nightmares. Among those who reported moderate-to-severe nightmares, the rate further increased to 46%. After adjusting for sex, age, sleep duration, sleep disturbances and history of trauma, they were 2.3-times more likely to experience suicidality. Those who reported moderate-to-severe nightmares were 6.1-times more likely to be at risk of suicide.

This study highlights the significant association between nightmares and increased suicidality. This association was independent of other risk factors such as sleep disturbances and trauma history. A history of nightmares and its severity should be elicited among persons who have suicidal ideation is crucial as part of the approaches to prevent suicide. Nightmares can be treated with psychotherapy or medications.

Reference

1. Raegan Atha, et al. Abstract 0140 Nightmares are associated with increased suicidality in young adulthood: a population-based cohort study. Sleep May 29. 2023;46(Suppl 1):A63. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad077.0140.