Effect of dexmedetomidine on sleep quality in elderly patients with short-term insomnia after general anesthesia

Corresponding author: wangxiaopeng, wangxiaopeng@sxbqeh.com.cn

DOI: 10.12201/bmr.202608.00050

•  

  Abstract: 【Abstract】Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (Dex) on sleep quality in elderly patients with gastrointestinal tumors who suffer from short-term insomnia following general anesthesia. Methods Eighty-four elderly patients with short-term insomnia undergoing elective laparoscopic curative surgery for gastrointestinal tumors were randomly divided into two groups: a Dex group and a normal saline (NS) group, each with n=42. The Dex group received Dex during anesthesia induction, intraoperative maintenance, and postoperative patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA), while the NS group received an equal volume of normal saline. Sleep quality was assessed preoperatively and during the first three postoperative nights using the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), and objective sleep architecture data were collected via smart wristbands. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured preoperatively and on postoperative days 1 and 3. Postoperative Ramsay sedation scores, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores, and results of the 3-minute Diagnostic Interview for CAM (3D-CAM) were recorded. Incidences of bradycardia, hypotension, and other adverse events were documented. Results The RCSQ scores during nighttime hours over the three postoperative nights were significantly higher in the Dex group compared to the NS group and also superior to their own preoperative baseline values (P < 0.05). Objective sleep data showed that total sleep duration, light sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep proportions increased in the Dex group, while the number of nocturnal awakenings decreased (P < 0.05). Postoperative IL-6 levels were lower in the Dex group than in the NS group (P < 0.05). QoR-15 scores were higher in the Dex group on postoperative days 3 and 7 (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding VAS or Ramsay scores at any time point. There were no differences in adverse events or incidence of postoperative delirium between the groups. Conclusion Dex effectively improves sleep quality and promotes recovery in elderly patients with gastrointestinal tumors experiencing short-term insomnia after general anesthesia.

  Key words: Dexmedetomidine; Sleep Quality; Insomnia; Elderly; Gastrointestinal tumor; Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia

  Submit time: 28 August 2026

  Copyright: The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted biomedRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
• html

• 图表

• Yang Yiping, Ding Yiyi, Wang Yangyang, Wang Wenwei, Li Jun. Effect of dexmedetomidine nasal spray on perioperative sleep quality and anxiety stress in patients undergoing hysterectomy. 2025. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202505.00009

  XU Jianhong. Study of dexmedetomidine on intestinal barrier protection in hypertensive patients. 2024. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202408.00045

  zhanglei. Progress in the application of dexmedetomidine in anesthesia through nasal administration. 2024. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202409.00057

  LIN Cailin. Effect analysis of diversified management led by anesthesia nursing team in the management of elderly patients in the recovery period after general anesthesia. 2026. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202607.00021

  liyunwei. The Value of Intravenous Paracetamol Combined with Nerve Block in Preoperative Analgesia for Elderly Patients with Hip Fracture. 2025. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202501.00024

  SHEN Jianwu, BAO Yehua, ZHU Yueqiao, ZHU Jingyu. Integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine treatment of insomnia in hospitalized elderly patients. 2024. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202407.00059

  WANG Lei. The Role of Gastrointestinal Tumor Markers and Inflammatory Indicators in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Esophageal Cancer. 2025. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202510.00034

  Lin Jian, Guo Yongrong, Shi Ming. Effect of electroacupuncture on postoperative analgesia in elderly patients undergoing percutaneous transformational endoscopic discectomy. 2026. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202604.00147

  guo zhi yu, ni yu ling. The Short-term Anticoagulation Therapy after Autologous Arteriovenous Fistulas Surgery Guided Based on VKORC1 Gene Polymorphism. 2026. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202601.00045

  Qin Chao. Progress in the study of the effect of intestinal microecological changes on the prognosis of elderly sepsis patients. 2025. doi: 10.12201/bmr.202501.00041

• ID	Submit time	Number	Download
  1	2026-06-08	10.12201/bmr.202608.00050V1	Download

• Public  Anonymous  To author only Submit Comments