Barbiturates were the first group of drugs in the anti anxiety and hypnotic group. It has a wide range of drugs having different time periods of action. All of them act on the GABA receptor on the brain that is associated with wakefulness. It mainly produces dose dependent action starting from drowsiness, sedation, hypnosis, sleep, stupor, coma and death. On chronic dosage it produces alteration of the sleep architecture apart form the hang over symptoms. Progressively it produces deterioration in mental functions, affect cognition, increase daytime sleepiness and lack of concentration. Further over dosing will lead to depression of the central nervous system leading to death. (more…)