Sleep, Serotonin, and Suicide

Abstract

The author hypothesizes that sleep loss associated with a decrease in serotonergic activity plays a significant role in attempted suicide. Recent research has emphasized the role of the economic recession on the occurrence of suicide, but with no attention paid to possible biological aspects. In this brief review, the association between sleep, the serotonergic system, and suicide is initially introduced. Then, with consideration of recent research, a hypothesis regarding the oc- currence of suicide is proposed. Finally, based on that hypothesis, three factors possibly germane to reducing suicides (sufficient sleep duration, activation of the serotonergic system, and activation of the prefrontal cortex) are discussed.