What other drugs, if any, do you take on a regular basis? AND, do you need a hypnotic everynight or as needed, if as needed, please explain? What is the primary cause driving your insomnia (anxiety, worrying, racing thoughts etc.), or is it just plain old insomnia? I will give some advice, but I don't know your exact situation, and I asked those questions so I could better understand the nature of your condition, and what might help it best.
I have read good things about Doral (quazepam), a seemingly lesser prescribed hypnotic benzo with a long half-life and long half-lives of its active metabolites, too. If you were to dose it nightly, the effects of the drug would likely be felt throughout the day, because of these long half-lives and accumulation of the drug and its metabolites. This, however, is not necessarily a bad thing, for if you do need a hypnotic to take every night, this one would likely become more effective until a steady plasma level is reached, where the effects would plateau (about a week, from what I read on rxlist.com). There is also mention that it has been studied in insomnia for dosing up to 28 days, every night, with retention of efficacy, and what seems to be a less serious w/d scenario than could be with some benzos. It is also stated that it improves sleep in all ways desirable, without really any noted effect on REM sleep. I have no personal experience with it, but to me it sounds like a good hypnotic as far as benzos go.
There is Restoril (temazepam), too, which I am not so sure I'd be that keen to recommend over other hypnotics first, but it is a hypnotic which is not that short-acting and can help with sleep in certain cases. It is often reported to be especially pleasant as far as benzos go with respect to recreational use, and there was a time when it was very widely abused (in the UK, I think) on an almost epidemic level. So, it is potentially more "addictive" than some other options, but it varies from person to person.
There is Ativan (lorazepam), which can be used for insomnia. It tends to be subtle for a lot of people as far as benzos go, but sedating and hypnotic as far as the benzos marketed for anxiety and panic (not just as hypnotics) go. It is not too short-acting, but not that long-acting, either. It is a commonplace benzo, which some doctors lean towards because of "alprazolam-phobia" or even "clonazepam-phobia".
There are Valium (diazepam) & Librium (chlordiazepoxide), both benzos and very closely related in effect. I think they have been forgotten about a bit, and might seem "outdated" to prescribe for some doctors, but these two benzos are fairly sedating, act pretty quickly, and have good muscle-relaxant properties. They were the first two benzos to be put on the market, first Librium, then Valium. Both have long half-lives and long half-lives of their metabolites, but tend not to last (if given as a single dose, once) that long, though they will build up and accumulate to an extent if taken on a daily or nightly, in your case, basis. Still, that is not necessarily a bad thing. I would not count these out.
For NON-benzo options, I might suggest simple melatonin - surprisingly effective for me, and I suspect it may have some neuroprotective benefits based on what I have read. 3 mg is a good dose. If you need more, up the dose. When nightmares ensue, you know you are at too high a dose. I don't know if a TCA (tricyclic anti-depressant) would help you at a low dose or not, but a low dose of certain TCA's once before bedtime can cause a good deal of sedation, however with TCA's there is a bunch of different ways it effects you - including how an anti-psychotic might effect you or an anti-histamine might effect you. TCA's are "dirtier" drugs, because of their muddle mechanisms of action, but can, like I said, be VERY sedating and hypnotic esp. Elavil (amitriptyline) and Sinequan, with Sinequan (doxepin) being probably the most out of all of them. They may cause effects during the day, though, such as drowsiness and possibly more interfering ones like motor issues, for example, though to try them might be worth it. Diphenhydramine, the anti-histamine, has been mentioned, and I will say that I think it serves best to be used as needed, however it is a good hypnotic, on the whole, when it is used as needed. I have heard of people often becoming quite tolerant to the sedation after continuous use, but this happens to an extent with pretty much any drug, although I think with anti-histamines like diphenhydramine a bit more quickly. Doxylamine, another anti-histamine, sold OTC like diphenhydramine, can be of potential help, too, though with no personal use I can recall. I don't really know much of doxylamine. I don't know how severe you insomnia is, for it could possibly warrant other drugs that have a higher risk that come with them, often with the increased risk of addiction and/or dependence, but BENZOS ARE ADDICTIVE AND CAUSE DEPENDENCE with chronic use. Z-drugs like Ambien and Lunesta, though, have the potential to cause dependence and addiction, too, for they are rather like benzos in the way they work.
I know this is a lot, but I hope it serves some purpose. Also, practice good sleep hygiene - sleep in a comfortable place with maximum darkness, unwind before going to bed without stimulating activity, do not let the television on as you sleep etc. You can learn a bunch more on that online, and it is truly important to follow to better sleep itself and sleep quality.
