I take Lunesta, not because it is more effective than Ambien because Ambien is actually slightly more effective than Lunesta. My problem is that Ambien causes me to get out of bed, cook, eat, clean and do other weird things all while remaining asleep... at least I have no memory of it when I wake up. As similar as Lunesta is chemically to Ambien, I do not have the amnesia or sleepwalking or eating when I take Lunesta.
It is a very costly issue for me because my insurance will not pay for Lunesta and I have to pay the entire cost. The cash price for 30 Lunesta tablets is currently $240 at most pharmacies. It has gone up over $100/per 30 in the past 18 months. I can't wait for a generic, but I suffer from chronic insomnia and have built up no tolerance for Lunesta for several years so at least there is something "safe" for me to take that is effective, although very expensive.