Drugs used for sedation have been unequivocally linked to abnormal development of the central nervous system in laboratory models. The notion of sedative-induced neurocognitive deficits in children has led to concerns about the safety of these drugs. Published clinical studies are retrospective and lack specifics about medications, monitoring, and coexisting medical conditions. These retrospective studies have not definitively shown an association between sedatives and adverse neurocognitive sequelae. Practitioners and families should be reassured that although sedatives have the potential to induce neurotoxicity, very little clinical evidence exists to support this concern.