Sedatives & Sleep
Michaela Fričová, Pavel Rychlý,
Andrea Hároniková
What a sedative is?
•
A sedative is:
• substance that depresses the central nervous
system (CNS)
•
Resuts are:
• Calmness, , relaxation, reduction of anxiety,
sleepiness, slowed breathing, slurred speech,
staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow,
uncertain reflexes.
Some Facts

Sedatives have different degree of CNS
depression
 pharmacologic effects are dose related
 small doses: sedation
 larger doses: hypnosis
 larger doses: surgical anesthesia (loss of
sensation)
Techniques used to study sleep

Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• monitors electrical brain activity

Electromyogram (EMG)
• permits electronic monitoring of head and
neck muscles

Electro-oculogram (EOG)
• electrodes placed around the eye,
• the EOG records eye movement
Sleep and sleep cycles
 There



are three states:
Wakefulness
Slow-wave sleep – NREM
Paradoxic sleep - REM
Stages of sleep
Sleep by Age
Age Group
Considered Amount of Sleep
Needed
Average % REM Sleep
Infants
16 - 18 hrs/day
50%
Toddlers
10-12 hrs/night;
1-2 hrs/day
35%
Children
9-10 hrs/night;
infrequent naps
Teenagers
9.5 hrs/night
Adults
7-8.5 hrs/night
Elders
6.5 hrs/night;
1 hr nap
20-25%
Types of sedatives
•
•
•
Antidepressants
•
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines
Herbal sedatives
Antidepressants
The first useful antidepressants belonged to a group called MAOIs
(MonoAmine Oxidase Inhibitors) and were discovered in the early
1950s.
(Harmaline, Iproclozide, Iproniazid, Isocarboxazid, Nialamide,
Phenelzine, Selegiline, Toloxatone, Tranylcypromine)
Barbiturates
• Used infrequently
• Should not be used more than 2 weeks
• Short-intermediate acting- secobarbital and
amobarbital (often, abused)
• Long-acting- phenobarbital, mephobarbital,
and metharbital (generally,not abused)
Benzodiazepines
Valium is one of these drugs and most
frequently prescriben in the U.S. as Xanax
Classified according to duration of effects
Used to reduce psychic tension, anxiety
disorders, or temporary relief of anxiety
Effective sedative and less sleep-producing
than other drugs in the sedative- hypnotic
classification
Alprazolam
part of Xanax
Herbal sedatives
Kava (Piper methysticum)
Mandragora (Mandragora officinarum)
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Kava is used as a herbal remedy to ease the
symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression
The Mandragora, alone or as an alcoholic
infusion, has a long history of use as an
anaesthetic
Valerian has uses in herbal medicine as a
sedative
Young Piper methysticum
Kava root drying in
Lovoni village
Mandragora officinarum
Valeriana officinalis:
Thank you for atention
Good night