BACKGROUND Myrtus communis has been suggested as a sleep aid in unconventional medicine. Moreover, previous studies have also indicated its sedative- and hypnotic-like activity. In this study, the hypnotic effect of M. communis was investigated. METHODS Essential oil (EO) of M. communis (600, 800, and 1,000 mg/kg) was given orally to Swiss albino mice of both sex, and the hypnotic effect was ...

The first indications of drug abuse were reported within a matter of weeks of Mandrax reaching the market, but due to the widespread abuse of barbiturates they went largely unnoticed. Now the drug is perhaps only second to Mogadon (nitrazepan) as a non-barbiturate sedative/hypnotic in the large quantities prescribed. There are however good reasons why this particular drug combination ought to b...

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are widely available drugs. In the adult population, the prevalence of daily use of anxiolytic drugs is 4%, and the prevalence of daily use of hypnotics is 1.7%, according to a Spanish survey conducted in 2011 [1]. This is due to their anxiolytic, sedative, and hypnotic properties, and also because they have shown to have a broad-spectrum activity, a rapid onset of action...

Rearing is an exploratory behavior induced by novelty, such as exposure to an open field. Stimulation of certain brain regions, including the hippocampus, induces both rearing and clonic convulsions. Brain excitability is controlled by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibitory neurotransmission through its ionotropic GABAA/allosteric benzodiazepine site. Drugs that decrease GABAA receptor fast ...

The hypnotic and residual sedative effects of the first and seventh of seven regular night-time doses of nitrazepam 5 mg, temazepam 20 mg, and placebo were studied in 58 elderly inpatients. Plasma temazepam and nitrazepam concentrations rose by about 50% and 113% respectively between the mornings of day 1 and day 7. Patients reported sleeping well more often after the first dose of either hypno...

Current pharmacological treatment of insomnia involves the use of sedative-hypnotic benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine drugs. Although benzodiazepines improve sleep, their multiple adverse effects hamper their application. Adverse effects include impairment of memory and cognitive functions, next-day hangover and dependence. Non-benzodiazepines are effective for initiating sleep but are not ...