Insomnia and anxiety

My goodness Lots of people have this problem. I take melatonin, a small dose every night.
If I wake up, I do have a problem with my mind going over many things I would rather not think about. this does not happen to me every night, but too often.
This website is helping me calm down my thoughts and therefore stay asleep better. There are the ANT exercises and the hypnosis and meditation. Do you listen to soothing music as you fall asleep? And are you getting enough exercise during the day. I hope you can because that really helps me.
I also take tart cherry if I do wake up and can’t go to sleep. It works for me.
I hope you will sleep better soon.

Insomnia and anxiety are very common, and there are numerous reasons why we get anxious and cannot sleep. The major culprits that hurt our sleep and sense of peace are poor eating habits, emotional distress, too much caffeine, not enough water, alcohol, hormone imbalances, and not enough exercise. 

Fortunately, there are great resources on this site for addressing these issues! Here’s a list of some basic things that can help you feel less anxious and sleep better:
1.) Nutrition: Follow the Omni Diet principles of fresh, whole foods as much as possible. Eliminate sugars, processed foods, and lower or eliminate caffeine intake that can upset sleep and increase anxiety.
2) Exercise, even if it’s a small amount every day (helps both anxiety AND sleep). Start by walking briskly, and increase intensity and duration as you are able.
3) Emotional Support/Lower Stress: Use the meditation audios on this site for help managing anxiety and/or talk to a counselor or friend for support.
4) Supplement Support: Depending on your brain type, consider supplements such as GABA, Restful Sleep, and Serotonin Mood Support. No matter your brain type, be sure you are getting a good quality multivitamin, Vitamin D (get tested if you don’t know), Omega-3, and Probiotics.

Great answer! I can use that info. 

Here’s something that boggles my mind: I can manage my thoughts throughout the day, seldom succumbing to negativity. However, I do find myself not being able to control thoughts, when I awaken after a bathroom break, early in the morning. And, no matter how hard I try to turn those thoughts positive, I have not been successful in doing so, until I start the day.

Zoopiter, you might try writing or drawing during the day to get your thoughts and feelings out from your mind and onto the page. There is a free writing exercise that many folks I’ve worked with find helpful. You simply write anything that comes to mind, for 5-10 minutes. It does not matter what you write–you can even start by writing “I don’t know what to write”. Eventually you will get to the stuff that needs to be processed or released, and it can be immensely helpful for preventing these things to come out later in the day (or night).