Melatonin and Ambien before surgery may improve sleep, reduce pain and opioid use after surgery
Improving sleep before surgery through the use of melatonin or Ambien (zolpidem) may ease presurgical anxiety, reduce pain after surgery, decrease opioid requirements and help patients recover better, according to an analysis of 25 years of research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026 annual meeting.
A review of 25 years of research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026 annual meeting suggests that taking melatonin or Ambien (zolpidem) before surgery may improve sleep, reduce pain, decrease opioid use, and aid in patient recovery. Poor sleep and anxiety are common pre-surgery experiences that can lead to heightened pain sensitivity, increased opioid use, and slower recovery.
The studies analyzed included patients undergoing various surgical procedures and found that melatonin, taken the night before surgery or before anesthesia, and Ambien taken at bedtime, either the night before surgery or on multiple nights before surgery, had positive effects. Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone, was associated with less anxiety, pain, and inflammation, as well as a more than 30% reduction in opioid use in some abdominal surgery patients.
Ambien helped patients with preexisting sleep problems sleep better before surgery and was linked to less pain after. The review suggests that addressing sleep may be a modifiable part of preparing for surgery that supports recovery.
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