ABC of sleep disorders. Withdrawal from hypnotic drugs.

As well as the traditional sedative/hypnotic group of drugs that relieve anxiety by day and promote sleep at night there are several other groups of drugs that are used to treat insomnia-particularly antidepressant, antipsychotic, and antihistamine drugs. As they differ substantially in their pharmacological and clinical effects on withdrawal I will consider them separately. The seven sleepers of Ephesus were Christian soldiers who were emtombed in a cave while escaping religious persecution during the third century. They slept until the reign of Theodosius 11 (408-50) who, on hearing of their miraculous experience, was converted to Christianity.