importance of sleep essay points

• Type 2 Diabetes

Heart Disease

• Digestive Health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• COVID-19 Vaccines
• Occupational Therapy
• Healthy Aging
• Health Insurance
• Public Health
• Patient Rights
• Caregivers & Loved Ones
• End of Life Concerns
• Health News
• Thyroid Test Analyzer
• Doctor Discussion Guides
• Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
• Lipid Test Analyzer
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
• What to Buy
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is Important for Your Health

• Restoration
• Stress Reduction
• Body Weight
• Illness Prevention
• Mental Health

How to Improve Your Sleep

Sleep is important due to the impact it has on your overall health. Appropriate sleep is needed for mental focus and memory, managing stress, maintaining proper body weight, boosting the immune system, and a host of other wellness needs. Some studies suggest sleep can help to prevent illness, such as diabetes or obesity .

Adults aged 18 to 60 years should get at least seven hours of sleep each night in order to achieve the benefits of sleep. If not, you run the risk of becoming sleep-deprived .

This article explains the role of sleep in overall health and offers tips on how to improve your sleep. Research on sleep and sleep cycles has elevated awareness about sleep hygiene (healthy sleep habits) and the quality of sleep.

 Illustration by Emily Roberts for Verywell Health

Sleep Is Restorative

When you sleep, you allow your body to repair and rebuild. During this time, the body is able to clear debris from the lymphatic system, which boosts the immune system.

While you sleep, there are many important processes that happen, including:

• Muscle repair
• Protein synthesis
• Tissue growth
• Hormone release

Sleep Reduces Stress

Sleep is a powerful stress reliever. It improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making. A lack of sleep not only reduces mental clarity but the ability to cope with stressful situations.

This is due, in part, to changes in cortisol levels. Typically, your cortisol levels fall in the evening hours, as one element of the body’s natural preparation for sleep. When sleep is lost, cortisol levels remain high and interfere with the release of melatonin, a hormone that is essential for the regulation of sleep-wake cycles.

Some studies suggest these changes could even be used to evaluate depression in people with bipolar disorder. Other studies demonstrate a link between sleep, chronic stress, and depression with an eye on heart rate changes.

Sleep Improves Your Memory

The link between sleep and memory processing is well established. Sleep serves as an opportunity for the mind to process all the stimuli taken in while awake. It triggers changes in the brain that strengthen neural connections helping us to form memories.

Sleep quality is important when learning new information and using memory. Numerous research studies find that electrophysiological, neurochemical, and genetic mechanisms that take place during the slow-wave sleep stage of sleep are key.

Sleep Helps You Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

When you are sleep deprived, your body alters the hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. These hormones include:

• Leptin: This hormone suppresses appetite and encourages the body to expend energy.
• Ghrelin: This hormone triggers feelings of hunger.

Both of these hormones are thrown off when you are short on sleep—leptin goes down and ghrelin goes up. Obstructive sleep apnea , a serious sleep disorder, is linked with obesity as well.

Sleep and Appetite

Sleep deprivation can activate the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in the brain (the same areas activated by marijuana) which increases hunger and appetite. Stimulating the eCB reward system makes you more likely to crave junk food.  You are also more likely to make these unhealthy lifestyle choices when you are tired. If that's often the case, it can lead to weight gain or diabetes over time.  

Sleep May Prevent Illnesses

Sleep deprivation can have very detrimental health impacts and has been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Here are some of the health conditions in which it may play a role.

Respiratory Illness and Infection

Lack of sleep makes you more vulnerable to respiratory illness and infection. A study of more than 600,000 people found that insomnia was a contributing cause when catching a cold or the flu , as well as a factor in how severe the infection became.

Obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disturbance, is linked with a number of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases. For example, 40% to 60% of people experiencing symptomatic heart failure also are diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing.

Other heart conditions linked with sleep apnea include:

• Coronary artery disease
• Pulmonary hypertension
• High blood pressure
• Heart arrhythmias

There's no direct evidence to suggest that sleep quantity or quality affects the risk of cancer, although studies have looked at the role of sleep in developing breast cancer , lung cancer , and more.

For example, research on lung cancer suggests a relationship between lack of sleep and adenocarcinoma risk, but more research on sleep traits (how long you sleep, whether you take naps) is needed.

Studies also are exploring the role of sleep in those already diagnosed with cancer, especially because difficulty sleeping affects up to 95% of people receiving cancer treatment and care. Sleep deprivation may affect the body's ability to fight cancer and lead to a poor prognosis, which was the conclusion of researchers focused on liver cancer .

A number of studies have shown that sleep deprivation leads to reduced glucose tolerance and impaired insulin sensitivity in humans. Additional studies suggest the risk of type 2 diabetes rises due to inadequate sleep, with seven or eight hours considered the optimal amount.

Researchers also think the timing of sleep may have impacts, too. Disruptions in circadian rhythm, with many people working at night or otherwise "living against the clock" of natural sleep cycles, also have impacts. Sleep disruption appears to affect metabolism and related diseases.

Neurodegenerative Disease

Sleep plays a key role in how your body produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), what it's composed of, and how the CSF is distributed in your brain and spinal cord. A number of studies have looked at how components in CSF, like amyloid-beta levels, might be linked to Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The research results are mixed, but there is evidence to suggest that sleep patterns affect levels of amyloid-beta, orexin, tau proteins, interleukin 8 (IL-8), and other components. This may influence the development of Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's disease, or it may contribute to sleep disruptions that are common in people living with these disorders.

Researchers also are investigating the role of CSF, sleep, and the early development of autism .

Sleep Is Important for Your Mental Health

Evidence suggests lack of sleep contributes to the formation of new mental health problems and to the maintenance of existing ones, but the magnitude of its effect is difficult to estimate and may be different across mental health conditions.

Sleep problems are very common in those with mental illness. In fact, disrupted sleep is commonly seen as both a symptom and consequence of mental health disorders, although sleep deprivation is rarely treated as the cause of mental health conditions.

The most common sleep problem associated with poor mental health is insomnia, with symptoms of:

• Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
• Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
• Irritability, depression, or anxiety
• Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks, or remembering
• Increased errors or accidents
• Ongoing worries about sleep

You may experience insomnia for a number of reasons, but the most common culprits are: 

• Work schedule
• Poor sleep habits
• Excessive alcohol or caffeine use at night 
• Habitual nighttime screen use

Illustration by JR Bee for Verywell Health

Small changes to your nighttime routine can result in a huge health benefit:

• Establish a realistic bedtime and stick to it every night, even on the weekends.
• Maintain comfortable temperature settings and low light levels in your bedroom.
• Consider a “screen ban” on televisions, computers and tablets, cell phones, and other electronic devices in your bedroom.
• Abstain from caffeine, alcohol, and large meals in the hours leading up to bedtime.
• Refrain from using tobacco at any time of day or night.
• Exercise during the day; this can help you wind down in the evening and prepare for sleep.

Sleep is vital to maintaining health, and most adults need seven or more hours each day. There is increasing evidence that adequate, high-quality sleep can help prevent illnesses like respiratory infection as well as limit the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other serious conditions.

Memory, mood, and mental health also are affected by sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders.

There are lifestyle steps you can take to improve sleep. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns or questions about how sleep patterns are affecting your health.

Antza C, Kostopoulos G, Mostafa S, Nirantharakumar K, Tahrani A. The links between sleep duration, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus . J Endocrinol . 2021 Dec 13;252(2):125-141. doi:10.1530/JOE-21-0155.

Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, et al . Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society . Sleep . 2015 Jun 1;38(6):843-4. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716.

Chong PLH, Garic D, Shen MD, Lundgaard I, Schwichtenberg AJ. Sleep, cerebrospinal fluid, and the glymphatic system: A systematic review . Sleep Med Rev . 2022 Feb;61:101572. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101572. 

Walker WH 2nd, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health . Transl Psychiatry . 2020 Jan 23;10(1):28. doi:10.1038/s41398-020-0694-0. 

da Estrela C, McGrath J, Booij L, Gouin JP. Heart Rate Variability, Sleep Quality, and Depression in the Context of Chronic Stress . Ann Behav Med . 2021 Mar 16;55(2):155-164. doi:10.1093/abm/kaaa039.

Tucker MA, Humiston GB, Summer T, Wamsley E. Comparing the effects of sleep and rest on memory consolidation . Nature and Science of Sleep . 2020 Feb 3;12:79-91. doi:10.2147/NSS.S223917

Rasch B, Born J. About sleep’s role in memory .  Physiological Reviews . 2013;93(2):681-766. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00032.2012 

Chaput JP, McHill AW, Cox RC, Broussard JL, Dutil C, da Costa BGG, Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Wright KP Jr. The role of insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment in obesity . Nat Rev Endocrinol . 2023 Feb;19(2):82-97. doi:10.1038/s41574-022-00747-7.

Yeghiazarians Y, Jneid H, Tietjens JR, Redline S, Brown DL, El-Sherif N, et al . Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association . Circulation . 2021 Jul 20;144(3):e56-e67. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000988.

Hanlon EC, Tasali E, Leproult R, Stuhr KL, Doncheck E, de Wit H, Hillard CJ, Van Cauter E.  Sleep restriction enhances the daily rhythm of circulating levels of endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol . 2016 Mar 1;39(3):653-64. doi:10.5665/sleep.5546

Jones SE, Maisha FI, Strausz SJ, Lammi V, Cade BE, Tervi A, et al . The public health impact of poor sleep on severe COVID-19, influenza and upper respiratory infections . EBioMedicine . 2023 Jul;93:104630. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104630

Wang J, Tang H, Duan Y, Yang S, An J. Association between Sleep Traits and Lung Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study . J Immunol Res . 2021 Jun 21;2021:1893882. doi:10.1155/2021/1893882. 

Büttner-Teleagă A, Kim YT, Osel T, Richter K. Sleep Disorders in Cancer-A Systematic Review . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2021 Nov 7;18(21):11696. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111696.

Huang J, Song P, Hang K, Chen Z, Zhu Z, Zhang Y, et al . Sleep Deprivation Disturbs Immune Surveillance and Promotes the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma . Front Immunol . 2021 Sep 3;12:727959. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.727959.

Parameswaran G, Ray DW. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and type 2 diabetes mellitus . Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) . 2022 Jan;96(1):12-20. doi:10.1111/cen.14607. 

Chasens ER, Imes CC, Kariuki JK, Luyster FS, Morris JL, DiNardo MM, et al . Sleep and Metabolic Syndrome . Nurs Clin North Am . 2021 Jun;56(2):203-217. doi:10.1016/j.cnur.2020.10.012.

Scott AJ, Webb TL, Rowse G. Does improving sleep lead to better mental health? A protocol for a meta-analytic review of randomised controlled trials . BMJ Open. 2017;7(9):e016873. Published 2017 Sep 18. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016873

By Shamard Charles, MD, MPH Shamard Charles, MD, MPH is a public health physician and journalist. He has held positions with major news networks like NBC reporting on health policy, public health initiatives, diversity in medicine, and new developments in health care research and medical treatments.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Heart-Healthy Living
• High Blood Pressure
• Sickle Cell Disease
• Sleep Apnea
• Information & Resources on COVID-19
• The Heart Truth®
• Learn More Breathe Better®
• Blood Diseases and Disorders Education Program
• Publications and Resources
• Blood Disorders and Blood Safety
• Sleep Science and Sleep Disorders
• Lung Diseases
• Health Disparities and Inequities
• Heart and Vascular Diseases
• Precision Medicine Activities
• Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity
• Population and Epidemiology Studies
• Women’s Health
• Research Topics
• Clinical Trials
• All Science A-Z
• Grants and Training Home
• Policies and Guidelines
• Funding Opportunities and Contacts
• Training and Career Development
• Email Alerts
• NHLBI in the Press
• Research Features
• Past Events
• Upcoming Events
• Mission and Strategic Vision
• Divisions, Offices and Centers
• Advisory Committees
• Budget and Legislative Information
• Jobs and Working at the NHLBI
• Contact and FAQs
• NIH Sleep Research Plan
• Health Topics
• < Back To How Sleep Works
• Why Is Sleep Important?
• How Sleep Works
• Your Sleep/Wake Cycle
• Sleep Phases and Stages
• How Much Sleep Is Enough?

MORE INFORMATION

How Sleep Works Why Is Sleep Important?

Language switcher.

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. The way you feel while you are awake depends in part on what happens while you are sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.

In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. Getting inadequate sleep over time can raise your risk for chronic (long-term) health problems. It can also affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. Learn how sleep affects your heart and circulatory system, metabolism , respiratory system, and immune system and how much sleep is enough.

This brochure describes the differences between the types of sleep needed to feel awake and to be healthy and offers tips for getting a good night’s sleep.

Heart and circulatory system

When you fall asleep and enter non-REM sleep , your blood pressure and heart rate fall. During sleep, your parasympathetic system controls your body, and your heart does not work as hard as it does when you are awake. During REM sleep and when waking, your sympathetic system is activated, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure to the usual levels when you are awake and relaxed. A sharp increase in blood pressure and heart rate upon waking has been linked to angina, or chest pain, and heart attacks .

People who do not sleep enough or wake up often during the night may have a higher risk of:

• Coronary heart disease
• High blood pressure

Hormones and sleep

Your body makes different hormone at different times of day. This may be related to your sleep pattern or your circadian clocks. In the morning, your body releases hormones that promote alertness, such as cortisol, which helps you wake up. Other hormones have 24-hour patterns that vary throughout your life; for example, in children, the hormones that tell the glands to release testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are made in pulses at night, and the pulses get bigger as puberty approaches.

Metabolism and sleep

The way your body handles fat varies according to various circadian clocks, including those in the liver, fat, and muscle. For example, the circadian clocks make sure that your liver is prepared to help digest fats at appropriate times. Your body may handle fat differently if you eat at unusual times.

Studies have shown that not getting enough quality sleep can lead to:

• Higher levels of the hormones that control hunger, including leptin and ghrelin, inside your body
• Decreased ability to respond to insulin
• Increased consumption of food, especially fatty, sweet, and salty foods
• Decreased physical activity
• Metabolic syndrome

All of these contribute to overweight and obesity .

Respiratory and immune systems

During sleep, you breathe less often and less deeply and take in less oxygen. These changes can cause problems in people who have health problems such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Asthma symptoms are usually worse during early morning sleep. Likewise, breathing problems in people who have lung diseases such as COPD can become worse during sleep.

Sleep also affects different parts of your immune system, which become more active at different times of day. For example, when you sleep, a particular type of immune cell works harder. That is why people who do not sleep enough may be more likely to get colds and other infections.

Lung Health Basics: Sleep

People with lung disease often have  trouble sleeping. Sleep is critical to overall health, so take the first step to sleeping better: learn these sleep terms, and find out about treatments that can help with sleep apnea.

Problems with thinking and memory

Sleep helps with learning and the formation of long-term memories. Not getting enough sleep or enough high-quality sleep can lead to problems focusing on tasks and thinking clearly. Read our Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency page for more information on how lack of sleep affects performance of daily activities, including driving and schoolwork.

A monthly newsletter from the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Search form

Print this issue

Good Sleep for Good Health

Get the Rest You Need

Sometimes, the pace of modern life barely gives you time to stop and rest. It can make getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis seem like a dream.

But sleep is as important for good health as diet and exercise. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health.

Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders. These range from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia.

There’s more to good sleep than just the hours spent in bed, says Dr. Marishka Brown, a sleep expert at NIH. “Healthy sleep encompasses three major things,” she explains. “One is how much sleep you get. Another is sleep quality—that you get uninterrupted and refreshing sleep. The last is a consistent sleep schedule.”

People who work the night shift or irregular schedules may find getting quality sleep extra challenging. And times of great stress—like the current pandemic—can disrupt our normal sleep routines. But there are many things you can do to improve your sleep.

Sleep for Repair

Why do we need to sleep? People often think that sleep is just “down time,” when a tired brain gets to rest, says Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, who studies sleep at the University of Rochester.

“But that’s wrong,” she says. While you sleep, your brain is working. For example, sleep helps prepare your brain to learn, remember, and create.

Nedergaard and her colleagues discovered that the brain has a drainage system that removes toxins during sleep.

“When we sleep, the brain totally changes function,” she explains. “It becomes almost like a kidney, removing waste from the system.”

Her team found in mice that the drainage system removes some of the proteins linked with Alzheimer’s disease. These toxins were removed twice as fast from the brain during sleep.

Everything from blood vessels to the immune system The system that protects your body from invading viruses, bacteria, and other microscopic threats. uses sleep as a time for repair, says Dr. Kenneth Wright, Jr., a sleep researcher at the University of Colorado.

“There are certain repair processes that occur in the body mostly, or most effectively, during sleep,” he explains. “If you don’t get enough sleep, those processes are going to be disturbed.”

Sleep Myths and Truths

How much sleep you need changes with age. Experts recommend school-age children get at least nine hours a night and teens get between eight and 10. Most adults need at least seven hours or more of sleep each night.

There are many misunderstandings about sleep. One is that adults need less sleep as they get older. This isn’t true. Older adults still need the same amount. But sleep quality can get worse as you age. Older adults are also more likely to take medications that interfere with sleep.

Another sleep myth is that you can “catch up” on your days off. Researchers are finding that this largely isn’t the case.

“If you have one bad night’s sleep and take a nap, or sleep longer the next night, that can benefit you,” says Wright. “But if you have a week’s worth of getting too little sleep, the weekend isn’t sufficient for you to catch up. That’s not a healthy behavior.”

In a recent study, Wright and his team looked at people with consistently deficient sleep. They compared them to sleep-deprived people who got to sleep in on the weekend.

Both groups of people gained weight with lack of sleep. Their bodies’ ability to control blood sugar levels also got worse. The weekend catch-up sleep didn’t help.

On the flip side, more sleep isn’t always better, says Brown. For adults, “if you’re sleeping more than nine hours a night and you still don’t feel refreshed, there may be some underlying medical issue,” she explains.

Sleep Disorders

Some people have conditions that prevent them from getting enough quality sleep, no matter how hard they try. These problems are called sleep disorders.

The most common sleep disorder is insomnia. “Insomnia is when you have repeated difficulty getting to sleep and/or staying asleep,” says Brown. This happens despite having the time to sleep and a proper sleep environment. It can make you feel tired or unrested during the day.

Insomnia can be short-term, where people struggle to sleep for a few weeks or months. “Quite a few more people have been experiencing this during the pandemic,” Brown says. Long-term insomnia lasts for three months or longer.

Sleep apnea is another common sleep disorder. In sleep apnea, the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep. This reduces or stops airflow, which wakes people up during the night. The condition can be dangerous. If untreated, it may lead to other health problems.

If you regularly have problems sleeping, talk with your health care provider. They may have you keep a sleep diary to track your sleep for several weeks. They can also run tests, including sleep studies. These look for sleep disorders.

Getting Better Sleep

If you’re having trouble sleeping, hearing how important it is may be frustrating. But simple things can improve your odds of a good night’s sleep. See the Wise Choices box for tips to sleep better every day.

Treatments are available for many common sleep disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help many people with insomnia get better sleep. Medications can also help some people.

Many people with sleep apnea benefit from using a device called a CPAP machine. These machines keep the airway open so that you can breathe. Other treatments can include special mouthguards and lifestyle changes.

For everyone, “as best you can, try to make sleep a priority,” Brown says. “Sleep is not a throwaway thing—it’s a biological necessity.”

Related Stories

Mindfulness Training Can Promote Healthy Choices

Yoga for Health: A New e-Book

Addressing Childhood Bullying

What Are Frontotemporal Disorders?

NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison Building 31, Room 5B52 Bethesda, MD 20892-2094 [email protected] Tel: 301-451-8224

Editor: Harrison Wein, Ph.D. Managing Editor: Tianna Hicklin, Ph.D. Illustrator: Alan Defibaugh

Attention Editors: Reprint our articles and illustrations in your own publication. Our material is not copyrighted. Please acknowledge NIH News in Health as the source and send us a copy.

For more consumer health news and information, visit health.nih.gov .

For wellness toolkits, visit www.nih.gov/wellnesstoolkits .

Why Sleep Is Even More Important Than You Thought

Sleep loss raises anxiety and hinders emotion regulation..

Updated February 21, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

• Why Is Sleep Important?
• Find a sleep therapist near me
• In a culture where long work hours are rewarded and distractions abound, sound sleep is often elusive.
• Sleep deficiency has been linked in the literature to a host of negative health outcomes.
• Sleep is closely linked to emotion regulation.

In a culture like ours, in which long work hours are expected and pleasurable nonstop distractions abound, sound sleep is often hard to come by. Our society promotes hard work as a path to happiness and self-fulfillment, and many people believe they can learn how to get by on little sleep with no ill effects.

No wonder so many of us are sleep-deprived. Data indicate that more than 30 percent of adults and 90 percent of teenagers get less than the recommended amount of nightly sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in three U.S. adults reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day. Nearly 40 percent of adults report falling asleep during the day without meaning to at least once a month, and an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans have ongoing sleep disorders.

This is problematic because sleep problems have been linked in the literature to a host of negative outcomes, including injuries, loss of productivity , and poor decision-making , as well as many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and an overall greater likelihood of death. An extensive NIH report (2006) concludes: “After decades of research, the case can be confidently made that sleep loss and sleep disorders have profound and widespread effects on human health.”

Sleep, in other words, is more important than most people appreciate.

Sleep and Psychological Well-Being

Psychologists have long been particularly interested in the link between sleep and psychological well-being. A vast literature has accumulated attesting to the link between sleep and emotion . Yet sleep is a complex and mysterious process, the intricacies of which are yet to be fully understood. Sleep problems, for example, come in various forms that may not have similar effects. Moreover, some aspects of emotional health and well-being may be more vulnerable to sleep disruptions than others.

A recent (2023) article by Cara Palmer of Montana State University and colleagues seeks to offer some clarity on the effects of various sleep deficiencies on emotional health. The authors meticulously reviewed findings from more than 50 years (1966-2022) of sleep research to assess the impact of troubled sleep on various facets of mental health and functioning. Their study “represents the largest, most comprehensive meta-analysis to date quantifying the impact of sleep loss on domains of human emotional functioning.” The authors looked at three distinct sleep issues:

• Sleep deprivation, measured by studies that ask participants to stay awake for extended periods with no intermittent periods of sleep.
• Sleep restriction , measured by studies that shorten typical sleep duration for one or more nights.
• Sleep fragmentation , measured in studies that force awakenings during a night of sleep.

The authors focused on studies that measured the effects of sleep problems on several important emotional outcomes, including positive and negative affect, general mood disturbance (in studies that did not measure positive and negative emotions separately), emotional reactivity (valence and arousal), anxiety , and depressive symptoms.

The authors included in their review only studies in which participants were free of psychiatric or sleep-disorder diagnosis as well as any medical conditions known to impact sleep and/or emotional functioning. They included only experimental studies with adequate control groups and those that measured at least one emotion-related dependent (outcome) variable.

Overall, the final meta-analysis included 146 peer-reviewed studies and eight unpublished studies or data sets (e.g., dissertations) with a total number of 5,717 participants across 28 countries.

Findings From a Review of Research

Eighty-five studies looked at sleep deprivation (SD). Results showed that SD influenced mood (increased negative and reduced positive emotion and increased general mood disturbance) and anxiety but had no significant effect on depressive symptoms. The effects on emotion and anxiety showed a dose-response relationship—that is, more wakeful hours led to more disrupted emotion.

Fifty-six studies looked at sleep restriction (SR). Like SD, SR had a significant effect on both positive and negative emotions, as well as mood disturbance and anxiety outcomes, with dose-response effects for positive emotion. “Positive affect decreased gradually as sleep duration decreased. The largest deficits in positive affect occurred around 4 hours of sleep.” SR was also found to affect depression .

Twenty-one of the included studies used sleep fragmentation (SF). SF was found to be linked to decreased positive affect and decreased arousal.

The authors conclude:

“The strongest and most consistent effects of sleep loss were observed for decreased positive affect, followed by increased anxiety symptoms, and blunted arousal in response to emotional stimuli. Effects on other emotional outcomes were varied and less consistent… All forms of sleep loss, including SD, SR, and SF, reduced positive affect, with the largest effect size found for SD… These findings should inform regulations and policies that directly impact sleep–wake patterns including maximum work periods and schedules (e.g., for surgeons, truck drivers), school start times, military/combat operations, daylight savings time, and investment in education and health care that prioritizes sleep.”

The review contains several limitations. For one, sleep studies by nature find it difficult to fully mask participants to their condition, which may have produced expectancy effects.

Moreover, lab experiments are inherently low on what psychologists call "ecological validity," because conditions in the lab do not resemble real-world conditions. In addition, the literature reviewed mostly relied on young adult samples, which may not represent the population at large. Further, existing studies relied mostly on subjective reports rather than objective measurements of emotional states.

Finally, other aspects of sleep that were not addressed in this review may be important to consider as we hone our understanding of sleep and its health effects. For example, a recent study (2024) by Australian psychologist Daniel Windred and colleagues suggests that sleep regularity , rather than sleep duration, is key for predicting future health.

Still, the bottom line from converging sources of evidence is that adequate, uninterrupted, regular sleep is an essential agent of emotional and physical well-being. The good news is that potent behavioral interventions for improving sleep exist , and improved sleep can often be achieved without much expense, delay, or noxious side effects.

Bang for your buck, protecting your sleep is without a doubt among the best things you can do to improve and maintain your mental health and well-being. Psychologists should regularly include sleep hygiene assessment and intervention in their care plans. If your psychologist does not inquire about your sleep habits, they are not providing you with top-notch care.

Facebook /LinkedIn image: Pormezz/Shutterstock

Noam Shpancer, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Otterbein University and a practicing clinical psychologist in Columbus, Ohio.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Teletherapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Therapy Center NEW
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

Understanding what emotional intelligence looks like and the steps needed to improve it could light a path to a more emotionally adept world.

• Coronavirus Disease 2019
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

• ErasmusJobs
• Green Erasmus

The Importance of Sleep

Constantly tired, grey faces with red, puffy eyes, hands holding cups loaded with caffeine… Lack of sleep seems to be a plague among the modern youth. We live in a constant rush, our schedules are overflowing with various tasks and responsibilities, and rest usually ends up as the lowest priority on our lists. People tend to underestimate the importance of good-quality sleep, without realising the consequences. Moreover, many of us don’t know what “quality sleep” even means – how long we should sleep, how to make sure we actually get enough rest and how to take care of appropriate sleep hygiene. This article will be your first step to finally getting a good night’s sleep.

First things first – do you know why sleep is so important? We all know that sleep is the time when our body and brain regenerate. Let's get down to a bit of science: it is the time when your heart and blood vessels heal and repair, protecting you from heart and kidney diseases, strokes and low blood pressure. Sleep is also an important factor for lowering the risk of diabetes, as it affects how your body reacts to insulin (the hormone that controls your blood sugar level).

If you still don’t feel convinced, good sleep can help you maintain appropriate body weight! Have you noticed that when you are sleepy, you are also more prone to reaching for comfort foods instead of healthy, nutritious meals?  Night time is when your body produces hormones, including ghrelin and leptin – hormones responsible for feeling hungry and full. What this actually means is that sleep deprivation lowers your metabolism, making you more likely to gain weight.

Good sleep is important for your mind as well. Obviously, feeling well-rested affects your mood, response time, and efficiency at work. Studies show that sleep has a crucial impact on activity in some parts of the brain. If you're tired, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behaviour, and coping with change.

Now that you know why you should always get enough sleep, it’s time to find out how. Have you ever wondered how much sleep is “enough”? Or if there is such a thing as too much sleep? For an adult, the appropriate amount is between 7 and 9 hours. This means that sleeping over 9 hours per day can actually be bad for you. Oversleeping has similar effects to sleep deprivation: over time it can also lead to diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. More common effects of sleeping too much are headaches, lack of energy or depression. Sounds familiar? Remember that anything in excess is bad.

It’s not only how much sleep you get that’s important – if the quality of sleep is not right, you will not get its full benefits. There are a few tricks that can help you get as much rest as possible. You need to take care of a proper sleep hygiene. Firstly, remember that your bed should be reserved for sleep only – if you have a habit of working or eating in bed you should try to move it to somewhere else. Studies prove that separating workspace and sleeping space can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better throughout the night. And there’s bad news for those addicted to phones – the blue light from the screen disrupts natural sleep patterns by affecting melatonin (sleep hormone) levels. Does avoiding touching your phone and laptop for two hours before sleep sound impossible? At least switch all of your devices to night shift mode – it gives a yellow tint to your display, minimising the negative effect on your hormones. If your device doesn’t have a built-in night mode, you can try Twiligh t (for Android) or f.lux (for Windows).

If you have trouble falling asleep, you should try going to bed and waking up around the same time each day. It might be challenging, especially during weekends, but once you establish a routine, waking up early during the week becomes much easier.  Humans are creatures of habit, so having a nice bedtime routine – a time for you to unwind, relax, and get ready for bed - is the first step to good quality sleep. You can pick out an outfit and pack your bag for the following day, have a nice, warm bath, listen to some music, set time to read a book… try out what works best for you and stick to it!

Maybe it sounds like a lot of restrictions, hard to keep up with when you have a fully packed schedule and tight deadlines –  but still, sleep should be a priority. You’ll be much more efficient finishing everything in your crowded schedule with a rested brain, good energy, and positive attitude – not to mention that after a full night of sleep, those busy days will also feel better. Don’t you think it is worth sacrificing one thing in order to get proper rest? In the long run, it will bring you much more benefit and help you manage your time and tasks better. Good luck – and sleep well!

P.S. You can read up more about the science of sleep here .

Related articles

Reality check time: Erasmus is over The end of your Erasmus programme might feel like the end of the world you currently live in, but the world after your Erasmus will be ev...

How a Youth Exchange Shaped My Future This might feel like a very personal piece, but above all it is meant to highlight the inspiration, skills, and self exploration that lea...

An Unbreakable Bond: ESN Members and Exchange Students What do exchange students mean to ESN members? They usually stay with us only for one semester, but their impact on our everyday lives is...

• Box springs
• Mattress toppers
• Duvet covers
• Fitted sheets
• Mattress protectors
• Pillow cases
• Nightstands
• Decorative pillows
• About Auping
• Design your bed
• Find a store
• Full collection
• Importance of sleep

The importance of sleep

4. Waking up

In the early morning hours proportionally less deep sleep phases occur, allowing for the transition to waking up to take place more gradually. When you wake up, your body temperature rises. Your body does this, as if your biological clock were switching on the heating.

What happens when we sleep?

• During our sleep our brain is active, but not in the same way as when we are awake. Quite similar to some kind of maintenance process. All the information that came in during the day is now processed and information is filed away or deleted.
• Sleeping gives the body the possibility to recover from the efforts done during the day. The production of the growth hormone reaches a peak, the cell division rate increases and we top up our mental reserves.
• During our sleep our muscles rest. Muscles are used whole day long, or large parts of the day.
• You move during your sleep, you turn around about 30 times per night. And you need that movement. Lying still for too long causes pressure on your body, which may result in irritations after some time.
• People dream about two hours every night, although most people remember little or nothing about their dreams in the morning. We have an average of five dreams per night, but people can generally remember only one or two dreams each week.

Read more stories

Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech

Introduction.

• Title: Why do we need sleep?
• General purpose: To emphasize the importance of proper sleep behavior.
• Specific purpose: To enumerate the basic functions of sleep.
• Main idea: Sleep refills the body with energy and helps the brain function properly.

Have you ever wondered about the role of sleep? In your experience, you probably noticed that without proper sleep, it is difficult to concentrate and remain energetic. It is important to be aware of the basic functions of sleep to understand its significance for health and well-being.

In the modern world, insufficient sleep is a widespread problem for people of different ages. Therefore, many studies related to the role of sleep have been conducted in the sphere of psychology and medicine, and further, some of the aspects of sleep will be covered in detail. This speech aims to identify the functions of sleep and prove the importance of an adequate sleep-wake schedule.

Sleep contributes to organizing information received during the day. During sleep, the brain processes a human’s emotions and memories (McBurney et al., 2020). During sleep, the brain reorganizes the information by forming connections between neurons (McBurney et al., 2020). This function is essential for maintaining memory and learning ability.

Sleep helps get rid of tiredness and remain healthy and energetic. The function of sleep is to recover the body and prepare it for the next day (Bennis, 2020). Sufficient sleep reduces the risk of anxiety, depression, and other related effects (Leparski, 2019).

Sleep is needed to regulate biological processes happening in a human’s body. An important function of sleep is to restore hormone balance (Leparski, 2019). During sleep, the human body normalizes the level of adenosine, which is responsible for feeling fatigue (Bennis, 2020).

To summarize, it is important to understand that sleep affects different aspects of a human’s health and well-being. Firstly, during sleep, the brain processes all the information, memories, and emotions, preparing itself for the next day. Secondly, the human body gets rid of fatigue and averts stress and depression. Finally, sleep normalizes biological processes and restores hormone balance. Therefore, it is necessary for every person to pay attention to a sleep-wake schedule to remain healthy and energetic.

Bennis, T. (2020). Overthinking, photographic memory, habit stacking . Vaclav Vrbensky.

Leparski, S. (2019). The happy hormone guide: A plant-based program to balance hormones, increase energy, & reduce PMS symptoms. Blue Star Press.

McBurney, J.W., Weil, A.T., & Ruhoy, I.S. (Eds.). (2020). Integrative neurology . Oxford University Press.

Cite this paper

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2022, July 3). Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech. https://studycorgi.com/why-do-we-need-sleep-informative-speech/

"Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech." StudyCorgi , 3 July 2022, studycorgi.com/why-do-we-need-sleep-informative-speech/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) 'Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech'. 3 July.

1. StudyCorgi . "Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech." July 3, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/why-do-we-need-sleep-informative-speech/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech." July 3, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/why-do-we-need-sleep-informative-speech/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech." July 3, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/why-do-we-need-sleep-informative-speech/.

This paper, “Why Do We Need Sleep?: InFormative Speech”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: November 10, 2023 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

Essay on Importance of Sleep

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of Sleep in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

Understanding sleep.

Sleep is a crucial part of our lives. It helps us rest, rejuvenate, and prepare for the next day. Without sleep, our bodies and minds cannot function properly.

Why is Sleep Important?

Sleep contributes to our overall health. It allows our brain to process information and memories. It also gives our body time to repair and grow.

Effects of Lack of Sleep

Lack of sleep can lead to health issues like heart disease and obesity. It also affects our mood, making us feel irritable and stressed.

So, quality sleep is essential for our well-being. Make sleep a priority to stay healthy and happy.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

The necessity of sleep.

Sleep, often overlooked in our fast-paced society, is a fundamental aspect of human health and well-being. Its importance extends beyond merely banishing under-eye circles or boosting mood; it is an essential part of our biological function.

Role in Physical Health

Sleep plays a significant role in the body’s healing and repair processes, particularly for the heart and blood vessels. Chronic sleep deficiency is linked to heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. Furthermore, it aids in maintaining a healthy balance of hormones that regulate feelings of hunger and satiety, thereby indirectly influencing our body weight and food choices.

Cognitive Function and Emotional Well-being

Sleep is vital for various aspects of brain function. This includes cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance. During sleep, your brain forms new pathways to help you learn and remember information. A good night’s sleep improves problem-solving skills and enhances memory. Lack of sleep impairs these functions, leading to decreased productivity and increased mistakes.

The Impact on Mental Health

Sleep deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of developing mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Sleep helps reset our emotional brain circuits, allowing us to manage daily stress and adapt to change.

In conclusion, sleep is not a luxury, but a necessity. It’s a vital part of our lives that impacts our physical health, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. Recognizing the importance of sleep and making necessary adjustments to prioritize it is a crucial step towards improved health and productivity.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Sleep

The importance of sleep: an underrated aspect of health.

Sleep, often overlooked, is a crucial aspect of our overall health and well-being. In our fast-paced society, sleep is frequently sacrificed for more seemingly productive activities, however, this neglect can have serious health consequences.

The Science of Sleep

Sleep is not merely a passive state where the body is at rest. It is a complex physiological process where essential activities occur. During sleep, the body undergoes repair and rejuvenation, and the brain processes and integrates information gathered throughout the day. Sleep is divided into two distinct types: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. Each stage has specific functions, with NREM sleep primarily involved in physical restoration and REM sleep associated with memory consolidation and brain development.

The Health Implications of Sleep Deprivation

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a host of health problems. Physically, it can increase the risk of conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It weakens the immune system, making one more susceptible to infections. Neurologically, lack of sleep can impair cognition, memory, and mood. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lead to decreased concentration, memory lapses, loss of creativity, and mood swings. Furthermore, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Sleep and Academic Performance

For college students, sleep is especially important. Numerous studies have demonstrated a correlation between sleep and academic performance. Adequate sleep can enhance learning and memory, improve concentration, and boost creativity, all of which are crucial for academic success. Conversely, sleep deprivation can impede these cognitive functions, leading to decreased academic performance.

Improving Sleep Quality

Given the importance of sleep, it is essential to prioritize it and adopt good sleep hygiene practices. These include maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a sleep-friendly environment, avoiding stimulating activities before bedtime, and addressing any underlying sleep disorders.

In conclusion, sleep is a crucial aspect of health that is often undervalued. The implications of sleep deprivation are far-reaching, affecting physical health, mental health, and cognitive functions. As college students, it is essential to prioritize sleep to maintain overall health and optimize academic performance. By understanding the importance of sleep and adopting good sleep hygiene practices, we can reap the benefits of this vital physiological process.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Value of Prayer
• Essay on Importance of Prayer
• Essay on Non Violence

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Autonomy and Its Limits A Discussion of the Shortcomings of Informed Consent

Article sidebar.

Main Article Content

Photo ID 277640924© Dizain777 | Dreamstime.com

INTRODUCTION

Medicine is intertwined with promotion of positive health while prioritizing a patient’s diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The prioritization of a patient’s needs stems from a branch of morality called biomedical ethics, which focuses on moral principles that arise in healthcare, medical research. [1] Biomedical ethics serves to provide a framework for addressing complex medical questions while safeguarding the rights, dignity, and well-being of individuals. 1 Often times in healthcare, decisions made by physicians and patients result in beneficence and/or maleficence. Beneficence implies that healthcare professionals and institutions have a moral duty to act in a patient’s best interest by providing positive health outcomes while minimizing harm (maleficence). 1 As a result of biomedical ethics’ emphasis on beneficence and maleficence, healthcare is designed to respect a patient’s needs, beliefs, and decisions. The practice of allowing patients to make their own medical decisions is called autonomy, and it is vital to biomedical ethics because it emphasizes the concerns of the patient. [2] However, it is difficult to ensure that a person has autonomy over their medical decision-making if they are not fully informed about the circumstances of their health or treatment options.

Thus, an important aspect of biomedical ethics is informed consent. Informed consent is a practice in healthcare and research where individuals must voluntarily agree to or decline medical care after being educated about their medical condition. [3] Informed consent protects an individual’s right to express their beliefs and make educated decisions about their health. Furthermore, there is an important distinction to be made between voluntary consent and informed consent. While informed consent emphasizes that individuals are fully educated and comprehend information about a procedure, voluntary consent maintains that a person must freely and willingly make decisions without any form of pressure or coercion. 3 While a patient might be educated or informed about their health, they might not have the power to voluntarily make medical choices. Thus, consent must be both informed and voluntary to ensure that a patient is fully educated while preserving the right to make medical decisions. Without autonomy and (voluntary) informed consent, individuals would be deprived of their freedom to make educated medical choices, leading to interventions that do not align with their wishes or desires. However, autonomy and informed consent also have severe limitations and barriers, specifically when it comes to the informedness gap, cognitive capacity, and underestimation or overestimation of treatment risks.

According to author Onora O’Neill, the informedness gap occurs when patients may not fully understand the complex medical information provided to them by their physician. [4] The informedness gap is especially prevalent when medical professionals discuss complex procedures or treatments, as the patients may feel overwhelmed by the information and not make truly informed decisions. In addition to the informedness gap, limited cognitive capacity and mental health can hinder effective communication and informed consent. [5] When patients are unable to provide informed consent due to factors like dementia, mental illness, or unconsciousness, ensuring thorough communication and education becomes extremely challenging. 4

Additionally, it is important to consider how informed consent is limited by underestimation or overestimation of treatment risks. Patients may be overly optimistic about the success of a treatment or procedure, thereby underestimating the likelihood of complications or adverse outcomes. On the other hand, patients may possess fear and anxiety, causing them to overestimate the effects of treatment. Anxiety can cause a heightened perception of risk, which can lead to refusal of beneficial treatments, despite the presence of objective medical evidence. [6] Overall, these limitations of informed consent demonstrate that even when a patient is educated about their health, they still might not be fully knowledgeable when making medical decisions. In fact, while patients have the power of autonomy to make medical choices, the limitations of informed consent can have fatal effects. This becomes abundantly clear when looking at the case study of the world-famous musician, Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson’s death was the result of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication. Propofol and benzodiazepine are extremely powerful medications commonly used for ICU sedation. [7] Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's personal physician, was involved in Jackson’s care leading up to his death and played a central role in the events surrounding it. To briefly summarize the case, Michael Jackson was experiencing chronic insomnia and sought medical treatment after struggling to sleep for months. [8] Initially, Dr. Murray prescribed conventional anti-anxiety medications to help the artist sleep, but he was unsuccessful in resolving Jackson’s symptoms. 7 Without coercing the artist, Dr. Murray offered to administer the powerful anesthetics, propofol and benzodiazepine. After Dr. Murray’s brief description of the effects of propofol and benzodiazepine, Jackson voluntarily agreed to this treatment. 7 Initially, the treatment was a success, but Jackson was unaware of the significant toll these sedatives had on his health. On June 25th, 2009, after 2 and a half months of treatment, Jackson experienced severe propofol intoxication, causing him to die from cardiac arrest. [9]

Clearly, this case highlights how limitations of informed consent, specifically the informedness gap and underestimation of treatment risks, can have fatal consequences. Michael Jackson was granted the autonomy to make medical decisions about treatments for his insomnia, and he was briefly informed that propofol and benzodiazepine are potent sedatives. 7 However, according to the artist’s family, Jackson wasn’t fully educated about the level of addictivity and long-term ramifications of the drugs he was administered. 8 The Jackson family cited that while the artist voluntarily agreed to treatment, his chronic sleep deprivation caused him to underestimate the effects of his medication. The family explained that Jackson lacked the mental capacity to make informed decisions about his health. 8 Perhaps the outcome of this case may have been different if Dr. Murray had fully explored alternatives for treatment or made a thorough effort to fully educate Jackson about the effects of propofol. Additionally, it is difficult to discredit how sleep deprivation hindered Jackson’s ability to make rational decisions about his health. 8 While it is true that Dr. Murray informed Michael Jackson about the strength of the sedatives he was administered, that doesn’t mean Jackson fully understood the treatment’s consequences or the weight of his decision.

Furthermore, Michael Jackson didn’t suffer from the limitations of informed consent because of his unique status as a celebrity; Jackson is not an exception from the norm. Research suggests that factors such as limited interaction time between patients and physicians causes an informedness gap in about 1 out of every 3 people. [10] Michael Jackson had the wealth and resources to be informed about his health; he could have employed any doctor to provide his treatment. Yet, the average person does not have the resources to employ their own doctor or be thoroughly educated about their health. 10 If Michael Jackson wasn’t fully informed about his medical condition or treatment, it is likely that the average person is uninformed as well.

To put it simply, autonomy and informed consent ensure that individuals can express their personal beliefs while making educated decisions about their health. However, it is crucial to consider the limitations of informed consent such as the informedness gap, cognitive capacity, and misjudgment of treatment risks. How useful is autonomy and informed consent if patients lack the ability to think clearly, logically, and holistically about their health? [11] The tragic case of Michael Jackson exemplifies how limitations of informed consent have profound consequences. Although Jackson was informed about the risks associated with propofol and voluntarily agreed to his treatment, he was not fully aware of the drug’s long-term ramifications. If healthcare seeks to achieve positive health outcomes, there is an ongoing need for effective communication and patient education to address the limitations of autonomy and informed consent.

[1] Tom L. Beaucham, Standing on Principles: Collected Essay p, European Journal of Health Law 19, no. 5 (2012): 544–51.

[2] Daniel Callahan, “Autonomy: A Moral Good, Not a Moral Obsession,” The Hastings Center Report 14, no. 5 (1984): 40–42, https://doi.org/10.2307/3561098.

[3] Onora O’Neill, “Between Consenting Adults,” Philosophy & Public Affairs 14, no. 3 (1985): 252–77.

[4] Onora O’Neill, “Some Limits of Informed Consent,” Journal of Medical Ethics 29, no. 1 (February 1, 2003): 4–7, https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.29.1.4.

[5] Antoine Aoun, Sibelle Al Hayek, and Flora El Jabbour, “The Need for a New Model of the Physician–Patient Relationship: A Challenge for Modern Medical Practice,” Family Medicine & Primary Care Review 20, no. 4 (2018): 379–84, https://doi.org/10.5114/fmpcr.2018.79351.

[6] Rebecca Dresser. "Sunday Dialogue: Conversations Between Doctor and Patient,” The New York Times , August 25, 2012, sec. Opinion, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/opinion/sunday/sunday-dialogue-conversations-between-doctor-and-patient.html.

[7] Katherine Harmon, “What Is Propofol--and How Could It Have Killed Michael Jackson?” Scientific American, accessed October 15, 2023, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/propofol-michael-jackson-doctor/.

[8] “Doctor Is Guilty in Michael Jackson’s Death - The New York Times,” accessed October 15, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/us/doctor-found-guilty-in-michael-jacksons-death.html.

[9] B. Lyons, “Medical Manslaughter,” Irish Medical Journal 106, no. 1 (January 2013): 26–27.

[10] D. R. Hansberry et al., “Are We Effectively Informing Patients? A Quantitative Analysis of On-Line Patient Education Resources from the American Society of Neuroradiology,” American Journal of Neuroradiology 35, no. 7 (July 1, 2014): 1270–75, https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A3854.

[11] Rebecca Kukla, “How Do Patients Know?,” Hastings Center Report 37, no. 5 (2007): 27–35.

Maxwell Fry

Editor’s pick in Voices in Bioethics' 2023 persuasive essay contest.

Disclaimer: These essays are submissions for the 2023 essay contest and have not undergone peer review or editing.

Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .