Why are patients in Intensive Care Units sedated?

Sedatives are not analgesics. Most of the patients in ICUs are unconscious from their condition anyway. Sedatives such as Lorazepam administered for a long time via IV drip can even cause retrograde amnesia. So why are they sedated? Is it so that they would not wake up and remove tubes, catheters etc.?

true that sedatives are not analgesics but while patients are sedated they tend not to remember what is happening. also keeping the patient sedated allows the brain to heal and any residual swelling to decrease. the sedation also helps if they need to be taken back to theater for any problems that may occur.

it minimizes pain, and helps the body reserve it's energy for the truly important functions.

Patients are sedated so as to ensure they do not move and accidently remove medical instruments / harm themselves unintentionally.

You answered your own question here.
Yes, exactly.

you answered your own question.

think about how disoriented they would feel. some people believe that what is happening to them is just a dream, as they don't remember their accident, so they resort to ripping everything off themselves.

it's not very fun.

I would think you are part right the other would be they would be very scared knowing how bad off they are.It also slows the heart rate..My Mom was in ICU for a long time before she died.They put gloves on her because she kept pulling the tubes out.Even while she was sedatived
I wish they wouldn't always give them sedatives because they may want to talk to the family.I wanted to tell my Mama I loved her.

they are sedated for their own good. and not all are sedated

Some need to be intubated to help them breathe, and waking up with a tube down your throat is not a good thing. Intubation interferes with your normal breathing patterns, the ones you do without thinking...and if that pattern is screwed with, you'll know it (if you're conscious) and fight like hell with it.