The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
The term "sleeping pills" applies to a number of different drugs in pill form that help a person fall asleep and stay asleep. These drugs are also known as sedative-hypnotics. Among the wide range of sleeping pills, many require a doctor's prescription, but some can be purchased as over-the-counter drugs at a pharmacy. Over-the-counter preparations generally contain an antihistamine such as the active ingredient in the allergy medication Benadryl.
Prescription sleeping medications are much stronger. They include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and a number of other compounds. Barbiturates are no longer widely prescribed because of the risk for fatal overdose, especially when these drugs are combined with alcohol or other depressants. Benzodiazepines and other sedative-hypnotics can be short-acting or long-acting. In general, doctors prescribe shorter-acting sleeping pills to help a person relax enough to get to sleep. They prescribe longer-acting sleeping pills to help prevent frequent awakenings during the night. Long-term or inappropriate use can cause tolerance and physical dependence.
Barbiturates; Benzodiazepines; Sedative and Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs.