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Erik, Ryan gives some very good advice and I agree that meditation is very important in calming the nervous system and that it takes practice and patience. Most people today have very active or over-active minds, mainly from one worry or another. I do, too. I try switching my mind from the cycle of worry about something to imagining myself in a peaceful place. I remember being on wilderness canoe trips in Canada and paddling on quiet rivers, or lying in the sun on a beach, listening to the sounds of loons calling to each other across a lake. I also believe deep breathing is one of the best ways to calm our nerves and slow down our thoughts and worries. I also feel calm from drinking a hot cup of milk or decaf tea.

For sleep, I do the above exercises and sometimes count backwards from 100 to 1 while deep breathing. It sometimes takes two laps, but then I doze off.

There are a lot of web sites on how to calm our nervous system, and one of them suggests this:

Tips to Help Manage Nervousness

• It’s helpful to know that while you may think your nervousness is glaringly obvious, it never looks as bad as it feels. Many people who feel sure that everyone notices their nervous feelings are surprised to hear friends and colleagues remark on how confident they seemed!
• Deep breathing is one of the most helpful tools to help with nerves. Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose (try to breathe from your diaphragm rather than from your chest), hold your breath in for a few seconds and then release your breath slowly from your mouth.
• Don’t be frustrated or angry at yourself for being nervous. It’s a very normal fear reaction and focusing on its negative effects will make them seem larger than life.
• Try to be prepared for the event that is making you nervous. The more solid your preparation, the more confident and less nervous you will be.
• Watch out for and stop any negative thoughts about possible bad outcomes. To help you do this, change "What ifs" to "So what’s."
• Many people speak faster when they feel nervous. Take a deep breath and slow down your rate of speech. This will prevent you from becoming breathless – which makes many people feel more nervous.