[Anesthesia and sleep: from perioperative management to chronic refractory insomnia treatment]

Currently, anesthesia-based sleep therapy is experiencing a role expansion from short-term intervention for perioperative sleep disturbances to long-term treatment of chronic refractory insomnia. Integrating evidence-based data and clinical practice, this article systematically reviews the clinical application of anesthetic agents and techniques in perioperative sleep management and the treatment of chronic refractory insomnia. Rational perioperative use of anesthetic agents such as dexmedetomidine, esketamine, and propofol, together with anesthetic techniques like stellate ganglion block, can ameliorate perioperative sleep disturbances. In the domain of chronic insomnia, anesthesia-induced sleep balance therapy, patient-controlled sleep, and multimodal sleep promotion encompassing innovative anesthesia-based sleep therapy provide novel therapeutic avenues for refractory insomnia. However, current anesthesia-based sleep therapy is confronted with challenges, including low-quality evidence, high dependence on in-hospital medical resources, and underdeveloped professional standards and regulatory frameworks. Future efforts should focus on improving the evidence system, promoting clinical standardization, and advancing systematic framework construction, thereby facilitating the high-quality development of the innovative anesthesia-based sleep therapy within the field of sleep medicine.