If you need to go under the knife, a key tool to prepare you might already be on your nightstand.
One in nine people will have surgery in a given year. The night before, they often fast, check who is taking them, and pack their bag, but they may be missing out on a major benefit.
New research shows that a simple tip can help with everything from pre-surgery anxiety to pain and better recovery overall. Reducing this pain can significantly reduce the amount of painkillers needed, reducing the risk of addiction.
How? Use an aid, such as over-the-counter melatonin or prescription Ambien, to get a good night’s sleep before surgery, suggests a new analysis presented at the 2026 Anesthesiology Meeting.
“Although we usually focus on what happens in the operating room, our study suggests that we may be forgetting a critical window for improving outcomes in the nights before surgery,” said lead author Dr. Sebastian Amaya.
“Something as simple as improving sleep before a procedure can help patients recover more comfortably while reducing the need for heavy painkillers and their potential risks.”
It seems that sleep really is the best medicine.
The link between sleep and opioid addiction
Experts say people often lie awake in bed before surgery, worried about the procedure to come. Lack of sleep actually leads to increased sensitivity to pain, causing doctors to prescribe more painkillers like opioids to deal with it.
The greater the exposure to opioids, the higher the risk of addiction.
“When opioids are given for too long or in higher doses than necessary, we see complications, including the development of dependence,” said Mayo Clinic addiction medicine specialist Dr. Holly Geyer.
“It’s the brain’s desire to continue receiving this opioid outside of the original reason it was prescribed. We also see evidence of tolerance, the need to increase your dose more and more, to receive the same high level and/or pain relief as before.”
This new research suggests that simply getting a little help getting a better night’s sleep can minimize this harmful chain of events.
Melatonin vs. Ambien
Researchers reviewed 16 studies of patients undergoing abdominal, gynecologic, orthopedic, urologic, dental and other surgical procedures published between 2000 and 2025.
They found that melatonin, taken in doses of 1 to 20 mg, was associated with less anxiety, pain and inflammation and a shocking 30% reduction in opioid use in some abdominal surgery patients.
In studies, patients typically took melatonin the night before surgery and/or 20 to 90 minutes before going under anesthesia.
Melatonin is an extremely popular over-the-counter supplement used by more than 5 million adults and 4 million children at least once a month as a sleep aid. Melatonin occurs naturally in our bodies and has a milder effect than prescription sleeping pills, like Ambien.
“Melatonin may be particularly helpful for patients who experience significant anxiety before surgery, those at higher risk of respiratory complications, and older adults who may be vulnerable to the cognitive side effects of traditional sedatives,” Amaya said.
Studies using smartwatch data suggest that melatonin also helps patients return to normal sleep and daytime activity patterns after surgery.
That said, Ambien also had a beneficial effect on sleep before surgery and was linked to less pain after surgery.
One study showed that patients who took Ambien and underwent colorectal surgery needed fewer opioid painkillers during and in the 24 hours after surgery. They also had lower levels of certain inflammatory markers.
Another showed that patients undergoing hip replacement surgery also reported less anxiety and depression while having a better recovery experience after taking Ambien.
Although melatonin is a gentler option, “Ambien may be better suited for patients with pre-existing insomnia or significant sleep disturbances,” Amaya said.
Gn Health
