Your Pre-Surgery Sleep Goal

For the 3–7 nights before surgery, aim for 8–9 hours of sleep each night if possible. Try to keep your bedtime and wake-up time consistent from day to day.

 

Five Simple Ways to Improve Your Sleep

1. Keep a regular schedule.

2. Go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, including weekends.

3. Create a calming bedtime routine.

4. Choose quiet, relaxing activities and avoid stimulating tasks late in the evening.

5. Make your bedroom sleep-friendly.

6. Keep the room cool, quiet, dark, and comfortable.

7. Limit caffeine, especially later in the day. During the week before surgery, begin reducing caffeine and other stimulants.

8. If you cannot fall asleep, do not fight it. If you are awake for more than about 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something quiet in low light. Avoid phones, tablets, and television until you feel sleepy again.

 

If You Already Have a Sleep Problem

Please let our team know if you have sleep apnea, chronic insomnia, restless legs, or another sleep disorder. These conditions are worth addressing before surgery because pre-existing sleep problems can increase the likelihood of sleep disruption afterward. Patients who use CPAP or another prescribed treatment should make sure their condition is well managed before surgery.

 

A Helpful Reminder

It is very common for sleep to be temporarily disrupted after hip or knee replacement. Pain, swelling, medications, changes in routine, and the normal stress response from surgery can all affect sleep. In most patients, this improves as recovery progresses.

 

The better rested you are going into surgery, the better prepared your body is for the work of recovery. Even small improvements in your sleep habits before surgery can make a meaningful difference.