I have been taking Ambien for about 2.5 - 3 years and I would like to try and get off of it. I have struggled with some anxiety and depression over the last three months and wondered if they are related? I feel like the Ambien is not really working any longer, I really don't get deep sleep and I feel like I wake up every morning around 4 - 4:30 am, after going to bed typically around 10 - 10:30, so less than 6 hours of good quality sleep. I wake up feeling somewhat depressed and always overly tired. Any suggestions would be helpful, because I am also concerned about the long term effects of Ambien and Alzheimer's down the road, since it is in my family and poor sleep can lead to memory issues down the road.

Thank you.