Hi, I have high anxiety and depression which really affect my sleep and been searching for a med with low side effect and tolerance for better sleep.

I've noticed that many medical websites suggest the z drugs (e.g., zopiclone, eszopiclone, zaleplon, zolpidem) are first line treatment for insomnia. Yet they also mention people develop tolerance (e.g., needing higher doses) and rebound insomnia if they quit. If so, I don't understand why they're first line treatment. I mean these drugs seem like benzos, just slightly less addictive.

So my question is, Can you take these meds for more than, say, 6 months? Can you be on them for several years without them losing their effectiveness and you not requiring having to go on a higher and higher dose and then eventually when you hit the ceiling having to go off and deal with weeks of rebound insomnia?

I'm interested in your experiences with these meds (e.g., tolerance, side effects), particularly if you been on them for more than a couple of months. Thank you.