the sleeping pill brand ambien is expensive as hell, but it works great and much better than generic zolpidem, which always makes me feel shitty and groggy in the morning. otc sleeping pills are in the same boat, always make me feel unrested the next morning - except for melatonin. i take 12mg of that stuff every day, otherwise i'd never fall asleep.
my insurance covers the copay on ambien so for me it's an easy choice (plus you can use it as a recreational drug during the day lol), but otherwise, i believe the copay is about $70, for a 1 month supply (probably depends on insurance coverage though). without insurance i think it costs about $6 per tablet