Which of the following is NOT one of the three types of sedative/hypnotics?

The correct choice highlights that antidepressants are not categorized as sedative/hypnotics. Sedative/hypnotics primarily refer to drugs that induce sedation, sleep, or relaxation. Barbiturates and minor tranquilizers (usually benzodiazepines) are well-known classes of sedative drugs that directly affect the central nervous system to produce calming effects.

Antidepressants, while they can have sedative effects in some cases, are primarily used to treat mood disorders such as depression and anxiety rather than to induce sleep or relaxation in the way sedative/hypnotics do. They function by modulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, playing a different role compared to sedative/hypnotics that primarily act on GABA receptors to provide their therapeutic effects.

Other sedative/hypnotics can include non-benzodiazepine sleep aids, which also fit within the sedative classification, but they do not encompass antidepressants. Thus, the strong delineation between the categories reaffirms that antidepressants do not belong to the sedative/hypnotic classification.