Although the induction of sleep was originally considered to be a desirable therapeutic endpoint for the rapid control of agitation, it is increasingly recognised that sedation is not a prerequisite for acute symptom control. Moreover, excessive sedation or ‘over-sedation’ can interfere with the physician's ability to evaluate the patient and establish an effective therapeutic alliance with them, thus potentially influencing future compliance and treatment outcomes. Over-sedation is also strongly disliked by patients. Thus, achieving control of agitation via rapid calming rather than sedation is becoming an important therapeutic goal. Sedative agents, such as lorazepam, have traditionally been used for the management of acute agitation. However, problems with over-sedation have led to the increased use of intramuscular (IM) antipsychotics – which are easy to administer and provide rapid symptom relief of acute agitation – as a first-line approach in the acute setting. The recent availability of atypical antipsychotics as IM formulations represents a significant step towards meeting the goal of efficacy without over-sedation. Aripiprazole, olanzapine and ziprasidone have demonstrated efficacy in the management of acutely agitated patients with schizophrenia. Indeed, IM aripiprazole has been shown to be equally effective as IM haloperidol with a lower risk of extrapyramidal symptoms. Importantly, calming of acutely agitated patients without excessive sedation is emerging as a significant clinical advantage of IM atypicals over older treatments such as typical antipsychotics or benzodiazepines. Thus, physicians should consider the specific, sedation-independent calming effects of atypicals.