Ethical Issues Relating to Sleep
There is always some sort of ethical issue involved in human research, especially when there is a very high risk for the research subject. Tests on continuous positive airway pressure's(CPAP) effect on those with obstructive sleep apnea has brought up some questions on the ethics of the experiment(Brown, Anderson, Chervin, Kushida, Lewin, Malow, Redline, and Goldman 2011).
In order to test how successful a medication/ product/ therapy is, there has to be a control group. Without a control group, or the group that stays constant/the same, there is no real way to tell if the medication/ product/ therapy actually works. According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine(JCSM), "
despite observational studies, physiological rationales, and clinical acumen, treatments that have both benefits and risks (and significant costs) should be rigorously tested before they are widely promoted in clinical practice.(2011)" Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder which causes random pauses in breathing in an individual while asleep, falling asleep, or waking up. If one does not treat Sleep Apnea, the individual would be in danger of many different health problems including heart attacks, stroke, death, seizures, a loss of cognitive function, and irregular heartbeat(Brown, Anderson, Chervin, Kushida, Lewin, Malow, Redline, and Goldman 2011).
Another sleep topic that brings up ethical problems is the use of sleep aids. For most people, buying better pillows, mattresses, and blankets are totally fine if they help one sleep better. However, taking medication to help one sleep better is unheard of for some. Also, many people drink coffee or energy drinks to stay awake better, but most people do not think there is any problem in those either. Where does it cross the line? At what point is it ethical to ensure a better life regarding sleep("Sleep Ethics: How Far Would You Go? SleepingSimple" 2010).
In order to test how successful a medication/ product/ therapy is, there has to be a control group. Without a control group, or the group that stays constant/the same, there is no real way to tell if the medication/ product/ therapy actually works. According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine(JCSM), "
despite observational studies, physiological rationales, and clinical acumen, treatments that have both benefits and risks (and significant costs) should be rigorously tested before they are widely promoted in clinical practice.(2011)" Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder which causes random pauses in breathing in an individual while asleep, falling asleep, or waking up. If one does not treat Sleep Apnea, the individual would be in danger of many different health problems including heart attacks, stroke, death, seizures, a loss of cognitive function, and irregular heartbeat(Brown, Anderson, Chervin, Kushida, Lewin, Malow, Redline, and Goldman 2011).
Another sleep topic that brings up ethical problems is the use of sleep aids. For most people, buying better pillows, mattresses, and blankets are totally fine if they help one sleep better. However, taking medication to help one sleep better is unheard of for some. Also, many people drink coffee or energy drinks to stay awake better, but most people do not think there is any problem in those either. Where does it cross the line? At what point is it ethical to ensure a better life regarding sleep("Sleep Ethics: How Far Would You Go? SleepingSimple" 2010).
The preceding image is a graph of the prevalence of sleep aid use by age group. Overall, the use of sleep aids has gone up since 1998, and the group that has the highest use of sleep aids is the 35-44 year group("Sleep Ethics: How Far Would You Go? SleepingSimple" 2010).
Another sleep topic that brings up ethical problems is the use of sleep aids. For most people, buying better pillows, mattresses, and blankets are totally fine if they help one sleep better. However, taking medication to help one sleep better is unheard of for some. Also, many people drink coffee or energy drinks to stay awake better, but most people do not think there is any problem in those either. Where does it cross the line? At what point is it ethical to ensure a better life regarding sleep("Sleep Ethics: How Far Would You Go? SleepingSimple" 2010).
A drug called modafinil, usually used for treating those with narcolepsy, a sleep disorder which causes an individual to fall asleep at “random times,” may help people not need as much sleep. However, is it ethical to use a medicine to get ahead and not “waste” time sleeping? This answer changes from person to person, but if you had the opportunity to take modafinil, or a drug similar to it, would you take it("Sleep Ethics: How Far Would You Go? SleepingSimple" 2010)?
Another sleep topic that brings up ethical problems is the use of sleep aids. For most people, buying better pillows, mattresses, and blankets are totally fine if they help one sleep better. However, taking medication to help one sleep better is unheard of for some. Also, many people drink coffee or energy drinks to stay awake better, but most people do not think there is any problem in those either. Where does it cross the line? At what point is it ethical to ensure a better life regarding sleep("Sleep Ethics: How Far Would You Go? SleepingSimple" 2010).
A drug called modafinil, usually used for treating those with narcolepsy, a sleep disorder which causes an individual to fall asleep at “random times,” may help people not need as much sleep. However, is it ethical to use a medicine to get ahead and not “waste” time sleeping? This answer changes from person to person, but if you had the opportunity to take modafinil, or a drug similar to it, would you take it("Sleep Ethics: How Far Would You Go? SleepingSimple" 2010)?