Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation in the office, study harder for an exam, keep focused on an important speech. In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder.

Does this picture ring a bell with you?

All you can think about is being pulled in twenty different directions. It seems like overnight you have so many different responsibilities and you cannot always keep up with them. Life used to be simple, but now there is so much to worry about. You feel like a nervous wreck every day, and you don't know which end is up. Every time you try to calm down, there is something else that starts to worry you, and the anxiety continues on. If this is how you feel on a regular basis throughout the day, how is it possible for you to calm down enough to finally fall asleep at night?

If your body feels tense all the time, and your mind is constantly racing, it will not be easy for you to rest when it is time for bed. In order for your brain to truly feel that drowsy feeling, your body and environment must suggest comfort and relaxation first. People who suffer from anxiety consequently experience long bouts with insomnia as well. They may try to lie down, but the mind is racing, and the body feels such a level of discomfort that it may take hours to finally drift off, if at all.

What are some causes of anxiety?

1. Poor diet: caffeine, high artificial colors, flavors and preservatives causing excessive adrenaline, hyper and hypoglycemia intervals and toxic effects all causing anxiety.

2. Lack of exercise and fitness, and therefore lack of production of natural antidepressants and endorphins.

3. Lack of time to the self and meditation.

4. Negative childhood experience, can be even only 1 - 2 episodes, which caused a severe loss of self esteem.

5. Lack of love, acceptance and nurturing from parents resulting in negative self image.

6. Inadequate self image resulting in less ability to handle a variety of life situations.

7. Unresolved issues such as anger, guilt, shame.

8. Massive doubt about whether you can achieve something, or whether you can achieve it by a certain time.

It may be hard to 'turn off' your mind at night, but it is certainly possible. The main thing is to find ways to help you relax in the evening, leading up until the time you are ready to go to bed. It is important to leave all the baggage from your day behind, and try to get to the bottom of what is making you anxious.

It is important to really work to overcome your anxiety, because if it is preventing you from sleeping, then both the nervous energy and insomnia will negatively impact your health. You should not just write it off as normal, and just think it is all right that you are not getting proper sleep. Anxiety is a serious issue, and so is insomnia. The two together in your life can make you feel moody, groggy and terrible overall.

With so many methods out there to fight anxiety, there is one out there that works best for your body and lifestyle. There is no need to go for a long period of time with sleepless nights and feeling tense all the time. Relaxation and focus are two key elements that are necessary to work through your anxiety.

The bottom line is that anxiety affects many aspects of your life. It does have the ability to disrupt your sleep patterns, and it is important to be cognizant of that. So, take your time, release the tension and sort through the pressures in your life, and have a good night's sleep.