Objective: To systematically evaluate the effects of dexmedetomidine on perioperative sleep architecture using meta-analytic techniques.
Methods: Comprehensive searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, CMJD, and Wanfang databases (inception to December 2024) for randomized controlled trials assessing objective sleep parameters (polysomnography/actigraphy) in patients receiving postoperative dexmedetomidine. RevMan 5.4 software was used for meta-analysis.
Results: Thirteen studies comprising a total of 810 participants were included in this analysis, including 414 patients in the dexmedetomidine group and 396 patients in the control group. Compared with the control group, the postoperative dexmedetomidine group significantly improved SE (MD = 17.58, 95% CI 13.00 to 22.17, P < 0.001) and reduced N1 sleep (MD = -16.81, 95% CI -23.07 to -10.54, P < 0.001), while increasing N2 (MD = 15.35, 95% CI 9.25 to 21.44, P < 0.001) and N3 sleep (MD = 0.82, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.32, P = 0.001). No significant effect was observed on REM sleep (MD = 0.13, 95% CI -0.30 to 0.55, P = 0.550).
Conclusion: Postoperative dexmedetomidine administration enhances sleep quality by improving SE and promoting deep sleep stages, with no adverse effects on REM architecture. Clinical application should consider procedure-specific dosing protocols. |
