Avoiding stimulating activities like the Internet, video games, and physical activity right before bedtime can be helpful. Then there's meditation, breathing exercises, stretching, progressive muscle relaxation, hot bathes, journalling to get your feelings out before bedtime, hot milk. Avoid caffeine and vigorous exercise 4 hours before you go to bed. Try to have a regular bedtime. Try not to do other stuff in your bedroom (like watch TV, be on the computer, etc) because your mind needs to associate the bedroom with only sleeping, and sex (if you're old enough). Avoid smoking if you can because it's a stimulant. Avoid alcohol too because it produces a rebound anxiety effect. Try to clear your mind before you go to sleep, by maybe doing some type of puzzle or playing something mind-numbing like Mah Jong online where you're focused on a task (and not thinking about your problems) but it's not overly stimulating so your mind will become relaxed from that activity. If you like to read, try reading something boring before bed! If you can't sleep, don't continue to lay in bed. Get up, get out of bed. Go eat a snack, use the bathroom, find something to do that isn't stimulating and after a while go back to bed and try to sleep again. But don't watch the clock. I'd avoid medications if you can because sleep meds are addictive and if you can build up tolerance quickly so when you try to go without one, you can't sleep. Insomnia is a bitch but there's lots of things you can do to try to relax. If you have a smart phone or ipad, there are some nice sleep apps. Some are meditations, and others are just distraction noises like falling rain, or birds in a forest.
