Pre-surgery sleep aids linked to lower pain and reduced opioid use

At the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026 annual meeting, investigators presented a scoping review of 16 studies involving more than 1,100 surgical patients across multiple specialties. The review found that melatonin, administered the night before or shortly before anesthesia in doses ranging from 1 mg to 20 mg, consistently reduced pre-operative anxiety, postoperative pain, inflammation and, in some abdominal surgeries, lowered opioid use by over 30%.

Ambien (zolpidem) at a standard 10 mg dose, taken at bedtime before the operation, was linked to less pain, reduced opioid requirements in the first 24 hours, and lower inflammation, especially after colorectal and hip-replacement procedures. While the findings are promising, the authors note the review’s limitations and the need for larger, controlled trials before formal recommendations can be made. Experts highlighted the importance of sleep for immune function and pain perception, suggesting that optimizing sleep could be a simple strategy to improve surgical recovery.