Michael Jackson had no sleep for 60 days

MANILA, Philippines – If an overdose of the anesthetic drug propofol didn’t kill him on June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson would have died days after anyway from lack of sleep, said a sleep expert.

According to CNN, Harvard-educated sleep expert Dr Charles Czeisler testified at the wrongful-death trial of concert promoter AEG Live on June 21 (June 22 Manila time) to show that Jackson did not sleep for 60 days prior to his death.

Katherine Jackson, the mother of the King of Pop, is suing AEG Live for hiring and supervising Dr Conrad Murray who was convicted of manslaughter for giving Jackson propofol infusions for 60 nights. 

But the lawyers of AEG Live argue that it was Jackson who hired Murray and there was no way for them to know that he was getting a deadly amount of propofol infusions.

No real sleep

The propofol infusions were, ostensibly, to help the pop legend deal with his insomnia. But according to Czeisler, a sleep consultant for NASA and the CIA, the “drug-induced coma” brought on by propofol is not the same as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the sleep our body needs to repair brain cells and revive the body.

Lab rats die after 5 weeks without REM sleep. Because Jackson was taking propofol for 60 nights, he may be the first human to not get genuine sleep for two months, said Czeisler.

Evidence gathered from e-mails among show producers and testimony from Jackson’s choreographers, chef and hairstylist corroborate this theory.

During the days leading to his comeback “This Is It” concert, Jackson was said to be having difficulty remembering his dance routine and even the lyrics to his songs. He even requested for a teleprompter to display lyrics.

Those close around him also reported Jackson’s paranoia and severe weight loss. He would also talk to himself and hear voices no one else could hear.

“The symptoms that Mr Jackson was exhibiting were consistent with what someone might expect to see of someone suffering from total sleep deprivation over a chronic period,” said Czeisler.

On that day, Czeisler took the witness stand to answer a question posited by Katherine Jackson’s laywer, Michael Koskoff.

The record-breaking question — 15-minutes long — asked Czeisler his opinion on several aspects of Michael Jackson’s behavior before his death including reports of his severe deterioration over 8 weeks before his death. – With reports from Pia Ranada/Rappler.com

Michael Jackson image from Shutterstock