Research

Mixed

Postoperative sleep disturbances, characterized by fragmentation and loss of deep/REM sleep, significantly increase the risk of postoperative delirium, cardiovascular events, and delayed recovery.

Recognize that poor sleep after surgery is not just 'being tired' but a clinical risk factor for confusion (delirium) and heart issues. Advocate for sleep-promoting measures like minimizing night interruptions, using earplugs/eye masks, and discussing sleep aids with the medical team.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Development of sleep disturbances produces harmful effects on postoperative patients, that is, leading to higher risk of delirium, increased sensitivity to pain, more cardiovascular events, and poorer recovery.
Xian Su et al. · Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology · 2017

Why this rating

Based on a review of multiple studies including RCTs and cohort studies, though the paper itself is a review.

Source

Improve postoperative sleep

Xian Su et al. · Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology · 2017

DOI 10.1097/aco.0000000000000538

narrative_reviewCited 205×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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