Sleep deprivation is not to be taken lightly. According to a new American study, people with more insomnia are more likely to fall into violence, whether directed against themselves or others.
Did you know that there are times more likely to cause murder and suicide? This is what we learn from an American study, published yesterday, which targets nighttime hours in particular as the most dangerous.
8 times more homicides at night, around 2 a.m.
American researchers followed more than 100,000 Americans for 15 years. Their work involved evaluating data from more than 78,000 suicides and 50,000 homicides in the United States between 2003 and 2017, compared to the average time the population spent awake during that period. With astonishing results:
- People were eight times more likely to commit homicide at 2 a.m.;
- The risk of suicide also increased fivefold at 3 a.m.
All, obviously, by people who do not sleep at these late hours.
Scientists also found that young Americans aged 15 to 24 had, on average, a three times higher risk of nighttime suicide. Among older people, the risk of suicide was highest at 6 a.m. The risk of homicide, however, does not vary by age, they said.
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Sleep deprivation disrupts rational thinking
Why this increase at night, led by insomniac people?
Experts think they have the answer. They say people with sleep disorders are emotionally “vulnerable” and more likely to lash out at others. They think it's due to staying awake at night.”disrupts the brain's decision-making functions and reduces rational thinking at a time when negative mood is also at its peak.”
For Dr Andrew Tubbs, expert in sleep and circadian rhythms in mental illness and co-author of the study:
“Disturbed sleep can seriously impair rational thinking, which can lead to impulsive behaviors in vulnerable individuals.”
A vulnerability that would only grow, in our always-active lives which combine stress, sleep problems, and the inability to disconnect from emails and social networks. Finding a normal rhythm and sleeping better at night, on a large scale, could therefore also reduce this worrying rate.
