The main problem with medications may just be that most of the ones we have now are not that good. I suspect in many cases how a person relates with sleep may have an effect, but sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes medications can help a person who has developed bad habits change them. F.Lux or redshift (to reduce the blue light in displays in the evening) are quite helpful also, I find.
Many people do not know that melatonin patches exist. They are harder to find (I only have seen them online). For me they have a different effect: oral melatonin, even extended release, helps me get to sleep but makes it more likely I'll wake up later and not get back to sleep (plus they cause digestive issues) and melatonin patches help me stay asleep but not get to sleep. I haven't tried both oral and patch together. I'm currently using a quarter of a 5mg patch, which is less effective than a half patch (but less bad when I forget to take it off) but I couldn't tell the difference between a half and full patch.
Uridine monophosphate (150mg sublingually) is one that I find helps me feel more rested for the same amount of sleep (I have circadian rhythm issues; this may not happen if you don't). It also seems to help me get to sleep, although it doesn't have such a dramatic effect as some and seems to become more effective over time with regular use. While it seems to have few short term effects, long term effects have not been studied and it might potentially increase cancer growth. So still a high risk medication at this point.
The other one I've been taking lately is baclofen 20mg (phenibut 900mg is similar but I prefer the balofen). While not commonly used, it is the best I've found at keeping me asleep. I need a break of at least two days in a row per week or it looses effectiveness. I've noticed rebound effects for over a week after stopping it so it isn't entirely a positive effect on sleep, however I do get much more sleep with it than without and it doesn't seem like less restful sleep. Baclofen and phenibut can cause withdrawal effects if taken continuously without breaks and phenibut can be addictive. They also seem to conflict with many other drugs (including, it seems, something as mild as L-theanine). So they are higher risk, but not as bad as most sleep drugs.
Going back to non-medical sleep aids, waking up at the same time daily seems to be much more important than going to sleep at a consistant time. Bright light in the morning but avoid it in the evening. Consistent meal times may help. I'm always interested in hearing what other people do to encourage better sleep.