Aim:  to  evaluate  the  process  of  sedation  and  analgesia  in  patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Method: cross-sectional, observational study  conducted  from  September  2014  to  February  2015  in  the  ICU  of  a  teaching institution  in  Goiânia/GO.  The  sample  consisted  of  30  patients  over  18  years  old, intubated  and  sedated  for  more  than  24  hours  (protocol  no.  763.827/2014).  Results: continuous  and  intermittent  sedation,  and  analgesia  were  used,  with  fentanyl  and midazolam hydrochloride commonly used drugs. Discussion: the standard treatment for critically ill patients and submitted to IMV was continuous sedation administered due to anxiety in order to facilitate the nursing staff care. The main indication for sedation was the  maintenance   of  IMV.  Conclusion:  lack  standardization  of  approaches   in  the management of sedation. It is recommended to develop protocols with multidisciplinary effort