For most adults, bedtime is a welcome time of night, finally time to relax after a long day. But for adults with insomnia or other sleep problems, bedtime can be the beginning of the most stressful part of the day.

Adults should get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night, says Lida Osbern, a pulmonologist and sleep specialist with Reed Medical Group and medical director of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Sleep Center.

But that goal does not do much good if people can’t fall asleep to begin with. Sleep doctors and therapists have many suggestions for how to make the transition to bedtime and sleep go smoothly.

Many of the recommendations for good sleep habits have stayed the same over time, with one more recent exception.

“Most importantly nowadays, if you have insomnia, do not be watching TV, using the computer or other electronic devices in your bedroom. The light from these things can suppress melatonin, which is the hormone that helps you sleep,” Osbern said.

So, mobile phones, tablets and computers should be stowed away once the bedtime routine begins, but Osbern and Bert Nash thearapist Chloe Moushey agree that it is best to start working toward a good night’s sleep earlier in the day.

Osbern recommends avoiding caffeine and nicotine, if possible, for about six hours before bedtime. Abstaining from drinking alcohol helps, as well.

What a person eats during the day can also affect sleep at night.

“Eating less sugar can help the body function better, which regulates sleep and also improves your mood,” Moushey said.

Making an effort to be social and engage with other people during the day encourages more activity, which helps lead to being tired at the end of the day, she said.

As far as physical activity, exercise is good for promoting good sleep habits, Osbern said, but it helps the most when exercising is done early in the day. Exercising in the evening can cause adrenaline to interfere with calming down for bed.

Both Osbern and Moushey say that although sleep-deprived people crave naps, they should resist resting for more than 15 to 20 minutes, so as not to affect nighttime sleep.

In the evening, as bedtime nears, it is important to prevent the tension from mounting in anticipation of trying to sleep. Moushey says that one familiar frame of reference can help people plan their bedtime approach.

“Think about how we treat children’s sleep: they have bedtimes, routines, a calm bath time and a story,” she said. “If we can revisit some of these things we did as kids, we’ll get healthier sleep.”

Osbern recommends establishing bedtime rituals to help cue the body that it is time to slow down for the day. Brushing teeth, putting on pajamas and other routine tasks should be performed close to bedtime and in a consistent order, Osbern says.

Keep chores and extraneous things out of the bedroom, so that it is a calm, inviting place for sleep, Moushey says.

Ideally, the bedroom should be cool and dark. Osbern says that people are most comfortable in cooler, softer fabrics both for pajamas and covers.

If all of the cues haven’t helped and for some reason the person feels wide awake once he or she is in bed, there is no reason to panic.

“If you lie in bed and you can’t sleep for about 20 minutes or so, some people get so worried about not sleeping, that it causes them to stay awake. The best thing to do is to leave the room and read a book or do something calm until you feel sleepy,” Osbern advises.

Also, once it is dark, there is no good reason to watch the clock closely, Moushey says. Once people know what time it is, they continually recalculate the amount of sleep they will get, and that can be a disruptive cycle.

“Avoid looking at a clock or a cell phone that is inevitably nearby. Just say to yourself something like, ‘I’m not sleeping, so I’m just going to roll over and go to sleep,'” Moushey says.

Kennen Staples knows well what it feels like to not get enough quality sleep. He has worked the night shift as a trainer for UPS for more than nine years, in order to be home in the day with his children.

Staples leaves for work about 9:45 p.m. and usually arrives home in time to go to bed at about 5 a.m. He sleeps about five to six hours each day, while his wife or mother wakes the kids and takes them to school, until he needs to get up to pick up his youngest son at preschool.

Staples said that he usually does not have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, but he feels like he is tired all the time from not getting enough sleep.

“If I’m just around the house, I’m more tired. I’ve got to keep myself moving,” he said. “I think more clearly when I get the sleep I need to have. I have more energy and do more handy work around the house.”

Staples says he has a couple of requirements for good sleep in his bedroom: darkness and cool temperatures. The latter can be a challenge for hot summer mornings, in his bedroom above the garage.

Weekends are the most difficult days, he says. He gets home from his last shift on Saturday morning, and often the kids have soccer games and other activities that start as early as 8 a.m. He sleeps as long as he can, usually just a couple hours, then joins in for a full day of family time.

“I am completely drained Saturday night,” he said.

He sleeps a regular night Saturday and Sunday nights, then transitions back to his work schedule during the week. He says that his problem is the opposite of insomnia.

Osbern says that for most people, a few nights of insomnia is not uncommon. But if insomnia or waking up in the night is a regular occurrence, that might be the sign of a more serious medical problem, such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome or REM sleep behavior disorder. Sleep apnea is particularly dangerous, as it can be life-threatening. A doctor, and possibly a sleep center visit, can help diagnose and treat those problems – something that is helpful both for the patient and the patient’s bedmate, Osbern says.

Mental health also plays a big role in sleep. Osbern and Moushey say that undiagnosed depression and anxiety can be root causes for insomnia and night waking.

“About 50 to 80 percent of people with mental health issues experience sleep disorders, compared with about 10 percent in the general population,” Moushey said.

She recommends seeing a doctor or seeking help if people think that their mental health could be the underlying cause of their sleep problems.