Ambien, or Stillnocht as it is known in Europe, is a nonbenzodiazepine drug, or Z drug. It's a fairly powerful drug with significant side effects, which needs to be used with care and entirely under the terms of your doctor's prescription, particularly if you are over 40 years old. I would seek advice from him/her primarily - that is what they are there for. Mixing any Z drug with alcohol isn't a good idea.

We're all different and there is no one perfect way to do this. But in my case I don't get jet lag, don't use pills and don't drink alcohol. It's possible to do this with a bit of body clock manipulation, understanding how REM works and how to get REM sleep in strange circumstances.