After a brief introduction and physical motivation, we show how the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation can be derived from a general class of nonlinear hyperbolic systems. Its purpose is to describe the behaviour of high-frequency oscillating wave packets over a large time-scale that requires us to take into account diffractive effects. We then show that the NLS approximation fails for short pulses and propose some alternative models, including a modified Schrödinger equation with improved frequency dispersion. It turns out that these models have better properties and are quite accurate for short pulses. For ultrashort pulses, however, they must also be abandoned for more complex approaches. We give the main steps for such an analysis and explain one striking fact about ultrashort pulses: their dynamics in dispersive media is linear.