He took the sleep aids for three or four nights, about as long as he said it took for him to regain the vision in the eye.

The main difference between all of them [eszopiclone, zaleplon, zolpidem], except for half-life, may be that the manufacturer of Lunesta sponsored a 6-month trial and submitted the results to the FDA, while the other 2 manufacturers did not.

Sepracor Inc. has announced the publication of results of a large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-week study of Lunesta (eszopiclone) for the treatment of insomnia in elderly patients. (Eszopiclone is the active isomer in generic immovane or zopiclone)
The study was conducted in 49 centers across the U.S. and included elderly patients (64-86 years of age; n=264) […]

Sleep problems from shift work affect male and female workers of all age groups. Those who have unusual work hours are most likely to have it.

Sleep needs change over a person’s lifetime. However, older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults — seven to nine hours of sleep per night.