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Postoperative sleep disturbance is highly prevalent (89.5%) and is associated with increased opioid consumption and prolonged hospital length of stay.

In a prospective cohort of 143 adult surgical patients, 89.5% experienced poor sleep quality on the first postoperative morning. Poor sleepers had significantly higher 24-hour opioid consumption (r=0.41, P<0.001) and longer median hospital stay (4 days vs 3 days, P=0.018).

Last updated: Aug 20, 2026•0 RCTs•📖 Read as article →

Evidence Score

Evidence Score34/100
Human RCT☆☆☆☆☆
Meta-analysis☆☆☆☆☆
Mechanism★★★★★
Safety★★★★☆
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. The prevalence, predictors, and clinical impact of postoperative sleep disturbance: A prospective cohort study.

observational

Mohamed A, Bashir M, Alqahtani YS, Albunayyan FA, Alharbi MA, Shabanah D · Saudi journal of anaesthesia (2026)

Participants: N/A
Duration: Not specified (single postoperative morning assessment)
Intervention: None (observational study); assessed sleep quality using modified PSQI on first postoperative morning.
Outcome: Sleep quality (global PSQI score), sleep duration, sleep disturbance, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, 24-hour opioid consumption (MME), hospital length of stay.
Effect Size: r=0.41 for PSQI-MME correlation; median LOS difference of 1 day (P=0.018)
Population: 143 adult patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia at a tertiary care center.

Result:

PubMed: 42553892DOI: 10.4103/sja.sja_921_25

Mechanism Graph

Surgery and anesthesia disrupt normal sleep architecture
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Environmental factors (noise, light, nursing interventions) in hospital contribute to poor sleep
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Poor sleep leads to increased pain perception and opioid requirements
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Increased opioid use and poor sleep prolong recovery and hospital stay

Limitations

  • ⚠Observational design cannot establish causality
  • ⚠Single-center study with relatively small sample size (n=143)
  • ⚠Sleep quality assessed only on first postoperative morning, not over full hospital stay
  • ⚠Modified PSQI not validated for postoperative setting

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the prevalence of postoperative sleep disturbance?▼

89.5% of patients (128 out of 143) had poor sleep quality on the first postoperative morning.

Is postoperative sleep disturbance associated with opioid use?▼

Yes, higher global PSQI scores were significantly correlated with higher 24-hour opioid consumption (r=0.41, P<0.001).

Does poor sleep after surgery affect hospital length of stay?▼

Yes, patients with poor sleep had a median LOS of 4 days compared to 3 days for good sleepers (P=0.018).

What are the main predictors of sleep duration after surgery?▼

Sleep disturbance (β=0.702), sleep efficiency (β=0.288), and sleep latency (β=0.224) were significant predictors, explaining 34.8% of variance.

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References

  1. 1.Mohamed A, Bashir M, Alqahtani YS, Albunayyan FA, Alharbi MA, Shabanah D. "The prevalence, predictors, and clinical impact of postoperative sleep disturbance: A prospective cohort study.." Saudi journal of anaesthesia, 2026. PMID: 42553892 DOI: 10.4103/sja.sja_921_25
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Evidence scores reflect the quality and quantity of available research, not clinical recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement or intervention.