I feel your pain man. Insomnia sucks ass big time!
There are many things that can effect your sleep pattern and many methods that can help you sleep (of which people here have listed).
I'm no doctor, but having read that your insomnia is caused by anxiety, I suggest the following, which hepled me immensely:
1. You've got to switch off before bed. You need to come to terms with whatever happened before you can truely be cured. But try this in the meantime:
think about what happened awhile before you go to bed. It may hurt, but you and I know that when you go to bed, and it's just you and the dark, no
matter how much you've pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind during the day when there are distractions, they start coming back at night.
Take half hour out, awhile before bed, to think about what happened. Hopefully you find some peace.
2. For a while, until you find a pattern again, do nothing 2 hours before you go to bed. No xbox, no tv, no food, no drinks. Maybe try mixing this
with number 1, sips of water/camamile tea and some low, relaxing instrumental music will be fine. The key is to relax. You need to prepare your body
and brain for sleep. Tranquilty.
3. Exercise, exercise, exercise. You sound pretty active anyway, so guessing this won't be a problem.
4. Diet is also important. like people have pointed out, caffiene and other stimulating chemicals must be reduced in your diet. Try eating healthy
foods, cutting out large ammounts of red meats and junk food, and dairy products like cheese. Lots of fruit is good, however try not to eat too much
before bed as fructose is a energy boosting stimulant.
I wish you luck, if none of this works, you need to see someone who can help you with post traumatic stress. It's not a weakness to be so affected by
something, but a testiment to your personality, htat you have the heart and intelligence to be so effected by something. Get help man, you're not
weak, but you need help.
All the best.
Don't listen to those advocating smoking the herb, it's a proven medical fact that it can induce further anxiety in people who are already effected by
anxiety and can enhance it.
edit on 12-6-2011 by AmatuerSkyWatcher because: (no reason given)