Sleep and daily rhythm patterns from wearables linked to long-lasting pain after surgery in health records

Patients documented with persistent postsurgical pain exhibited systematic shifts in wake timing and heart rate circadian rhythms.

• Changes in wake timing and heart rate circadian rhythms were observed in patients with persistent postsurgical pain.
• Patients showed elevated amplitude and mesor in heart rate circadian rhythms.
• Wake timing was decoupled from heart rate circadian timing in those with persistent pain.
• These observed changes were not present in a comparison group without persistent pain documentation.
• The findings suggest a specific link between altered sleep patterns and persistent postsurgical pain.

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