Sedative, << SEHD uh tihv, >> is a drug that decreases the activity of the central nervous system. Sedatives are prescribed mainly to ease anxiety or to produce sleep. Their effect depends on the dosage. When taken in small amounts, the drugs calm a person. Slightly larger doses cause sleep. When used to produce sleep, the drugs are generally called hypnotics.
Groups of drugs classified as sedatives include barbiturates and peperidinediones. Benzodiazepines and a drug called meprobamate also have sedative effects, but they are usually classified as antianxiety drugs. Since the early 1960’s, antianxiety drugs have increasingly replaced sedatives in the treatment of anxiety (see Tranquilizer). Today, physicians prescribe sedatives mainly for insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Sedatives can be legally obtained only by prescription and should be taken only as directed. A person should not drive a motor vehicle or operate machinery after taking sedatives. Misuse of some of these drugs can lead to addiction. An overdose of sedatives can disrupt the brain’s control of breathing and circulation and may be fatal.
