1. drugs or medications that induce sleep or drowsiness
Usage: medical; plural form

Examples

• The doctor prescribed hypnotics to help with her insomnia.
• Many hypnotics can be habit-forming if used long-term.
• Over-the-counter hypnotics are available at most pharmacies.
• The patient was advised to avoid alcohol while taking hypnotics.
• Some hypnotics work by affecting brain chemicals that regulate sleep.
• The study compared the effectiveness of different hypnotics.
• Natural hypnotics like melatonin are becoming more popular.