Sleep is an important physiological activity to maintain normal physiological functions of human body. With the acceleration of human life rhythm, the number of sleep disorders is increasing gradually at the same time. At present, many studies have shown that general anesthetics can cause loss of consciousness by acting on the sleep‑wake circuit, and thus have a certain impact on human sleep in a short period of time. Propofol is one of the general anesthetics. Further observation and discussion of the effects of propofol on patients with sleep disorders will help to understand the effects of propofol on the prognosis and rehabilitation of patients. But studies on propofol and sleep disorders are rare. In this paper, by introducing the mechanism and regulating factors of sleep, the mechanism and influencing factors of sleep disorder, effect of propofol on sleep and its molecular targets leading to loss of consciousness are summarized. Also, the possible effects and underlying mechanisms of propofol on sleep disorders are summarized.