Sleep disruption and aggression: Implications for violence and its prevention.

Abstract

Objective: Although aggression and violence remain a perennial social problem, the role that sleep-wake regulation plays in social behavior like aggression has been severely neglected. In response, we aim to integrate cross-disciplinary evidence to suggest that various forms of sleep disruption release aggressive impulses and fuel violence. Method: In a narrative review, we outline 3 pathways of influence from sleep disruption to aggression that involve compromised affective, cognitive, and response-control processes. We also consider the reciprocal influences between sleep disruption and aggression, as well as review 3 domains where sleep disruption may have especially important effects on aggression and violence and provide opportunities for intervention. Results: The review reveals that sleep problems may be important contributors to aggression, especially in the domains involving intimate partner violence, school and cyber bullying, and institutional aggression within psychiatric and correctional institutions. Conclusion: Reviewed evidence has essential theoretical and applied importance for understanding and preventing conflict and violence in society. Finally, it calls for much-needed research targeting the role of sleep in aggression and social behavior.

Temperature and mental health: Evidence from the spectrum of mental health outcomes

“…Channels 4 and 5 are likely active in our settings, but data availability limits our ability to assess their contributions to our results. With regard to channel 6, there is evidence that sleep disruptions decrease with cold temperatures and increase with hotter temperatures, and that sleep is closely related to mental health (Obradovich et al, 2017;Jin and Ziebarth, 2017;Lõhmus, 2018) as well as aggressive behaviors and violence (Krizan and Herlache, 2016). In the next section, we assess whether sleep might be an active channel behind our results.…”

Aggressiveness and sleep: People with quick tempers and less anger control have objectively worse sleep quality

“…Thus, sleep disruption may impair emotional functioning by amplifying emotional reactions to negative stimuli while simultaneously degrading the ability to regulate these emotions. These intensified emotions and impaired ability to regulate them may promote anger and aggressiveness by increasing angry reactions and subsequent anger expression (Barlett & Anderson, 2014;Krizan & Herlache, 2015).…”

“…In other words, an individual will "see the tree, but miss the forest altogether" (Steele & Josephs, 1990). This focus on the most salient cues may confine a sleep restricted individual's attention on a potential provocation instead of the larger social and environmental context which may clarify whether the provocation was meant to be provoking and whether aggression is appropriate (Krizan & Herlache, 2015). This confined attention to provocation may facilitate further elaboration and rumination on the provocation, ultimately amplifying feelings of anger (Kavanaugh, Adrade, & May, 2005;Wilkowski & Robinson, 2010).…”

“…Overall, compromised executive functioning may act to increase aggression by stunting regulation of angry emotions and inhibition of aggressive behavior (Krizan & Herlache, 2015).…”

“…Thus, using a predominately older sample of adults may restrict the range of angry tendencies that relate to sleep. Moreover, the relation between sleep and actual aggressive acts may be more relevant in children, adolescents, and young adults, for whom angry and aggressive tendencies may be more likely, as well as for at-risk individuals with antisocial propensities (Krizan & Herlache, 2015;Krizan, Herlache, & Gentile, 2016).…”