I also have been batting insomnia my entire life. The first drug I tried was tempazapen and it only worked for a few nights in a row, then the insomnia began again. Ambien - same effects - worked for about 3 nights in a row and after that, the effectiveness decreased dramatically. Ambien also gives me SEVERE withdrawal symptons and intene rebound insomnia. I would NOT recommend Ambien. I have been taking Lunesta for several years and it's the only thing that has worked for me. It's great - give it a try. Of course, I still can't sleep when I don't take it. Good luck.