And for many, the stress of the season will also be a part of the package.

A package we all wish we could return.

GARY ZAMMIT, PhD: People are working hard, rushing to get through with their work so that they can go enjoy themselves. They're socializing, they're entertaining, they're out shopping.

SONIA ANCOLI-ISRAEL, PhD: There are lots of holiday parties that we get invited to, and we end up staying up late or the excitement of seeing family and friends that perhaps we haven't seen in a long time might make it harder for us to calm down and get quiet and fall asleep when we need to.

ANNOUNCER: Many of us are likely to travel during the holidays, disrupting our normal sleep schedule.

GARY ZAMMIT, PhD: People who are traveling by plane, traveling across multiple time zones might experience jet lag and that can result in daytime sleepiness.

ANNOUNCER: For most people the impact of the holidays on sleep will be short lived. But for those of us creatures still stirring at night, sleep can feel like it will never come.

SONIA ANCOLI-ISRAEL, PhD: Some people might have difficulty falling asleep when they first get into bed at night. Other people might have no trouble falling asleep, but they might find that they wake up multiple times during the night, and each time they wake up they have a hard time going back to sleep.

ANNOUNCER: No matter what the cause, sleep loss during the holidays can have consequences.

SONIA ANCOLI-ISRAEL, PhD: Relationships can become more difficult. It's harder to interact with family and friends because we're more irritable.

GARY ZAMMIT, PhD: Your cognitive or mental functions are not at peak, attention, memory, concentration, ability to stay on task.

ANNOUNCER: So what can you do to keep the spirit and get the sleep you need?

GARY ZAMMIT, PhD: Make sure that you set aside enough time to fulfill your basic sleep need. Get to bed on time; make sure that you allow yourself to sleep in long enough in the morning. And while, of course, you want to meet your deadlines at work, socialize and enjoy holiday parties, don't overdo it.

ANNOUNCER: And if you are having insomnia there are ways to improve your sleep.

SONIA ANCOLI-ISRAEL, PhD: We call these good sleep hygiene rules, and they can actually be used all year long, not just during the holidays. These would include, first of all, trying to go to bed and get up at the same time every day.

Don't spend too much time in bed.

So if you want to sleep eight hours, you should only be in bed about eight and a half hours.

ANNOUNCER: And while a toast of eggnog sounds like a good idea, you may want to pace yourself.

SONIA ANCOLI-ISRAEL, PhD: People enjoy having a drink now and then, and on the holidays, at parties, perhaps, they drink a little more than usual. And while alcohol makes you sleepy initially, several hours later, when the alcohol leaves your bloodstream, it actually wakes you back up again.

And just because it's the holidays and you're stressed and you're so busy, don't give up on your regular exercise routine.

Avoid caffeine, especially after lunch. And you may not think it bothers you, but in fact it does disturb sleep, as does nicotine. So avoid smoking and avoid drinking caffeinated beverages.

ANNOUNCER: One of the best things you can do is to prevent the stress of the holidays from getting the best of you by planning ahead.

SONIA ANCOLI-ISRAEL, PhD: One of the ways that people avoid some of the stress of the holidays is to shop online, and that's a wonderful thing to do, because it saves you the time of going out to the stores and the hustle and bustle and all the crowds.

And if you're going to be traveling for the holidays, make sure to plan ahead for that as well in terms of your sleep.

One of the things we can do to try to improve sleep when we're traveling, sleeping in a strange bed, whether it's in a hotel or in a friend's house, is to make the environment as conducive to sleep as possible. If that means bringing something that's comforting to you, bringing your own pillow that'll make it easier for you to sleep, that's great.

Make the room as dark as possible.

Get some comfortable earplugs to block out the noise. Make sure the temperature of the room is comfortable, not too hot and not too cold. All these things in combination will help you sleep better, even in a strange environment.

ANNOUNCER: Experts say you should also give yourself some space to clear your head.

SONIA ANCOLI-ISRAEL, PhD: What we suggest is that people find ten, fifteen minutes during the day to force themselves to sit down quietly. We call this "Setting aside a worry time." And it sounds very silly, but it works.

ANNOUNCER: And if you know the holidays are going to steal away your sleep, talk to your doctor.

SONIA ANCOLI-ISRAEL, PhD: There are lots of behavioral things that we can do to help ourselves sleep better, but sometimes we need additional help, and that's the time when people turn to sleeping pills. There are lots of different sleeping aids on the market; some are over-the-counter, and some are prescription.

So if you find that you are having suddenly difficulty with insomnia and it's making it difficult for you to function during the day and to get through the holidays, go see your doctor. There's nothing wrong with getting some help to help you get a better night's sleep.

ANNOUNCER: So while you may not be able to avoid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, you owe it to yourself to make it the best it can be.

GARY ZAMMIT, PhD: The best way to enjoy the holidays is to enjoy them feeling rested and refreshed, and the best way to do that is to get the sleep that you need.