Just a few decades ago, doctors would dispense sleeping pills as if they were sweets. Today, sleeping pills are no longer considered to be an appropriate solution to chronic sleeplessness. As they treat only the symptoms of insomnia, any improvement in sleep can only be temporary, thereby perpetuating the cycle of insomnia and drug-induced sleep. Ironically, many people initially turn to sleeping pills, as insomnia has left them helpless and out of control. However, pills can become a trap that escalates feelings of dependency, lowered self-esteem and guilt. Then insomniacs end up having to cope with two stressful problems: insomnia and dependency on sleeping pills. Most patients prefer non-drug approaches like avoiding caffeine and nicotine, but they do not know how best to escape the sleeplessness. However, some doctors guide their patients by prescribing the smallest possible dose, to be used only after two consecutive nights of bad sleep. As an alternative to supplement the pills, professionals provide such sleep aids as antihistamines which produce drowsiness as a side effect. Also, synthetic melatonin has recently been marketed and publicized as a natural sleeping pill. Although several studies found that melatonin was effective for promoting sleep, the studies focused on normal sleepers, not insomniacs. All in all, it seems that careful implementation of new behavioural patterns provides the most promising results to sufferers.