Drugs & Medication

Hypnotic drugs are a class of drugs that induce sleep (which differentiates them from the sedative category), used in the treatment of severe insomnia and in surgical anesthesia. Often the treatment of insomnia will not begin with drugs at all, however, as many (not all) hypnotic drugs are habit forming. A physician will usually recommend alternative sleeping patterns and exercise before prescribing medication for sleep. This is due to a large number of factors known to disturb the human sleep pattern.

These drugs include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, zolpidem, zaleplon, zopiclone, eszopiclone, chloral hydrate, chlormethiazole or the antihistamines doxylamine, promethazine, and diphenhydramine. Alcohol is often tried as a hypnotic drug but it is not particularly effective.