Anxiety can be caused by lots of things. Worries about money, job security, exams, your personal life, etc can all be a cause of anxiousness. Often this then turns into insomnia: you spend long, sleepless nights worrying. Which fuels your anxiety even further. So what can you do to break out of this cycle?
Work on cutting your anxiety levels
OK, this can be easier said than done. Rationally, you know whether your anxiousness is the correct response to your situation but convincing your subconscious mind to cut the level of anxiety can be a bit of a struggle. If you can separate the cause of your problem into two lists - one that you can't control, the other that you can at least influence - then that's a good start. Then pick off one or two of the smaller worries from the list of items you can influence and work on them. The success of getting rid of even a minor problem can be quite exhilerating and there's often a positive knock on effect to bigger issues.
Look for underlying problems
These are often quite subtle and you may not even think they're cause for concern. Chances are that there are some problems that are stuck deep underneath your anxiety. If you can identify these, that's a good step. A close, trusted friend or family member may be able to help with this as well.
Chip away at your insomnia
Some behavioral patterns that we run don't help us to sleep easily. Start with getting into a regular routine for sleep - going to bed at around the same time is an easy place to begin. Don't watch or read anything that taxes your mind too close to going to bed, otherwise your mind will still be working overtime when you actually want it to calm down. Cut down on any alcohol or caffeine intake. Both of these can keep you awake and could be at least part of the cause of your insomnia.
Don't rely on pills
Sure, taking a sleeping tablet every now and then isn't too bad. But don't start to rely on them to the stage that there's not a chance that you could get to sleep without popping a pill.
Chill out
Find a way to relax more. This will help with both your anxiety levels and your insomnia. Listen to calming music, take a nice relaxing walk, anything you can do to help yourself relax more.
