Hypnotics are agents which induce sleep. They act in one of two ways, either by producing temporary anaemia of the brain, or by lowering the excitability of nerve-cells. Natural sleep is accompanied by cerebral anaemia, and this is why a warm bath aids sleep as it dilates the skin-vessels and so diverts a considerable part of the blood-supply from the brain. Warming the feet has a similar effect. Research Hypnotics
A narcotic is a brain dulling and analgesic drug, not a sleep inducing drug as many believe, there is a notable difference between a state of sleep and a state of a dulled brain. Sleep inducing substances are known as hypnotics. Research Narcotic
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Abbreviations
Research Hypnotics
