Disordered Sleep in Adolescents Recovering From Surgery.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

Sleep is essential for postoperative recovery. Prescription opioid can be associated with disordered sleep. There is little research on sleep patterns among adolescents using opioids for postoperative pain. Our objective was to identify factors associated with disordered sleep among adolescents undergoing surgery.

METHODS

Prospective single-center survey-based cohort study of adolescents (13-20y) undergoing eight surgeries commonly associated with an opioid prescription. Participants completed a preoperative survey measuring clinical, mental health, and sociodemographic factors, and postoperative surveys at 30- and 90-days. All surveys administered the Sleep Problems Questionnaire. Repeated measures logistic regression evaluated the impact of surgery on worsening postoperative sleep scores. Linear change model evaluated sleep score trajectories; Poisson regression identified the impact of preoperative disordered sleep on opioid use.

RESULTS

Overall, 167 adolescents (median 15y, 64% female) were included. Twenty-seven (16.2%) reported disordered sleep preoperatively and 41 (24.6%) postoperatively. Prescription opioid use was not associated with development of disordered sleep postoperatively (OR:1.33; 95% CI:0.38-4.68). Adolescents were 2.20 (95% CI:1.42-3.40) times more likely to report disordered sleep postoperatively. Preoperative disordered sleep, time after surgery, and mental health comorbidities were associated with worsening postoperative sleep score trajectories (p < 0.01). Adolescents with preoperative disordered sleep were not more likely to use opioids (OR:2.56, 95% CI:0.76-8.63, p = 0.13) nor did they use more pills (IRR:0.84, 95% CI:0.62-1.15, p = 0.27).

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents were more likely to report disordered sleep postoperatively. Preoperative disordered sleep and mental health comorbidities, but not prescription opioid use, were associated with worsening sleep after surgery. Future efforts to improve adolescent postoperative sleep should address baseline disordered sleep and mental health comorbidities.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective cohort study.