If you are having trouble sleeping at night because of stress or because you lie awake worrying, you're not alone. Even before things got worse financially, a lot of people had trouble falling asleep. In fact, every night, millions of people have trouble falling asleep or don't feel rested when they awaken.

My business is to help people to learn how to relax and to stop worrying. I teach people how to relieve stress, stop worrying, let go at night and fall asleep. I am a meditation guide in Studio City, California, a part of Los Angeles, so I have some experience with some pretty stressed out people. The good news is that it is possible to deal with stress and find a way to relax. It isn't like a persistent virus or some other health problem that has no known cure. But like other serious health problems, if it goes untreated, stress can lead to other health problems that will kill you.

You may have heard all this before, but even though you realize that stress and worrying can lead to serious health problems, you're real reason for wanting to get rid of the stress is just so you will feel better and finally stop feeling tired all day. That is a good enough reason.

The more motivated you are the better it is and the more likely you are to get good results. Here are some recommendations that you can put into effect right away.

1. Make a firm commitment to yourself that you are going to deal with the stress and keep dealing with it until you have it under control.

2. Make a list of the things you are worried about and beside each item, write what you can do to solve the problem. If there is no reasonable solution, then put nothing there.

3. Get a good guided meditation to listen to when you fall asleep or better yet, find a meditation class that teaches guided meditation for relaxation. It is important that it is guided meditation because that is active meditation with a goal. If you can't find a local class or can't afford the time or money, get a good guided meditation on CD or download one to your MP3 player.

4. Before you go to bed at night, read that list. If there is anything on that list that you can do nothing about, draw big line through it, in fact, cross it out completely if you want even going to the point to totally erase it or scratch it out. Don't leave any of it showing. Totally and completely scratch it or cover it until it is no longer there. It may just be a symbolic act but your subconscious mind will love it and respond to it. There, you have done all that you can do about that problem.

Now it belongs to the universe or someone else who can solve it, but it is no longer your responsibility. If it is based on something you did in the past, it is still not yours. As soon as time passes and we can no longer fix the mistakes of the past they are no longer ours. Time eventually takes everything from us. If you don't believe that, walk through a nursing home or a graveyard if you really want to drive that point home. Look at all those elderly people or gravestones and just think of all the worries those people had and how little good worrying did any of them. Life is short and worrying is the biggest waste of time.

5. Don't drink coffee or eat at least three hours before going to bed. Keep the room dark and as quiet as possible. Do not fall asleep watching television. If you do not fall asleep just close your eyes and try to stay awake. Tell yourself that you are only resting and cannot fall asleep.

6. Listen to the guided meditation CD after you have reviewed that list in your mind. Think of each item and the solution to the problem. Close your eyes and picture yourself doing the thing that will solve the problem. Since you dealt with the things you couldn't change by crossing them out, they are gone. Only think about the things you can do something about and picture the solution. While you listen to the guided meditation CD or MP3 file, pay attention to the guided meditation. If you actually attend a guided meditation, then the meditation guide can teach you how to go into a deeply relaxed state on your own.

That is how many people deal with stress and fall asleep without worrying. Now here is a final thought. Read on with caution, because you may not like what I am about to say. Sometimes, the truth isn't comfortable or pleasant, but it is always the truth.

If you are spending time worrying about things that you have no control over, or things that you cannot change, even if they are situations you created in the past, while there are things you could be doing to solve other problems, there are words to describe your behavior. Wasting time on what you cannot change while ignoring the things you can change is self pitying, self serving, selfish. There may be some deep hidden reason for that behavior in your subconscious mind. Use meditation and learn to relax and let go. Get a good night's sleep and stop worrying with the help of an expert meditation guide.