Junior Seau’s Last Days Plagued By Insomnia, Report Says

Junior Seau passed away almost a month ago, and his friends and family, along with the NFL community are still in shock over his suicide on May 2.

Since the 42-year-old’s death, friends and family have come forward with stories remembering the former NFL player, and also to say that Junior had long been plagued with bouts of insomnia, according to Fox News.

Just hours after his death, Seau’s 11-year-old son, Hunter, told his mother Gina that her ex-husband had experienced trouble sleeping when hunter was staying with him the month before. Gina recalled Hunter’s tale, saying that the boy got up at about 3 a.m. to let Rock, a pit bull-mastiff mix, outside. When he saw his father’s bedroom light on, Hunter peeked inside.

There, Gina recalls, he saw Junior sitting up in bed, staring at the turned off TV. He wasn’t reading or writing either, just staring. Hunter asked, “Dad, are you OK?” Seau assured him, “Yes, son, I’m fine.” He wasn’t though, and just one month later, his on again off again girlfriend Megan Noderer, found him in his home with a bullet in his chest.

Junior Seau reportedly suffered from insomnia and sleeping issues for years, a common side effect for people who have experienced massive brain trauma. USA Today reports that, while Seau never reported a concussion, the medication he took to help him sleep, Ambien, has side effects, including suicidal thoughts.

Mark Walczak, a friend of the late NFL star, played with Seau on the San Diego Chargers in the early 1990s. He told Fox News that:

“I know he’s had a very difficult time sleeping over the years. I think it’s gotten worse and worse. Lack of sleep creates huge anxiety.”

While the investigation into Junior Seau’s death is ongoing, it has already been ruled a suicide by police. A toxicology report is expected in about 30 days, which should wrap up the investigation. For those who still speculate that Seau’s death is more than suicide, Oceanside Police Lt. Joe Young said Thursday that:

“I’m aware that there is a segment of folks out there that don’t want to believe that Junior took his own life, and I respect that. But the bottom line is … there’s nothing to indicate anything other than suicide.”