Sleeping pill may help older adults recover better after surgery
NCT ID NCT05823844
First seen Jul 23, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether the sleep medication suvorexant can improve restorative sleep and reduce insomnia in older adults recovering from elective surgery. Participants aged 50 to 90 who have a history of insomnia will receive either suvorexant or a placebo during their hospital stay. The study measures total sleep time and tracks sleep patterns over several days to see if the drug helps restore normal sleep after surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a sleep medication called suvorexant (Belsomra), an orexin receptor antagonist
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia after surgery in older adults.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-phase trial, so results may not apply to everyone. The medication may cause daytime sleepiness or other side effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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100 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2023
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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50 to 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria: * Aged 50 years to 90 years old. * Patients getting elective surgeries for orthopedic reasons (e.g., hip or knee replacement), abdominal surgery (e.g., hernia repair, renal cancer), urologic or gynecologic surgery, and spine surgery with a projected inpatient stay of 24 hours or longer. * Patients experiencing insomnia characterized by difficulties with sleep onset, early morning awakening, and/or sleep maintenance three or more times weekly over a three-month period for eligibility. Exclusion criteria: * Patients who undergo surgery and then are admitted to intensive care. * Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or other cardiac surgeries. * Intra-cranial surgery. * Patients taking more than 60 mg of oxycodone or it's equivalent as outpatient * Circadian rhythm disorders. * High score in the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) * Moderate to severe dementia (failed t-MoCa) * Severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)\>30 and/or screen high risk) * Patients receiving Cytochrome P-450 (CYP3) inhibitors or inducers (Inhibitors: clarithromycin, erythromycin, diltiazem, itraconazole, ketoconazole, ritonavir, verapamil, goldenseal, and grapefruit. Inducers: phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampicin, St. John's Wort, and glucocorticoids). * Vulnerable populations (i.e., children, pregnant women).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital/CUMC Milstein Hospital Building
New York, New York, 10032/10034, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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