PORTLAND, Ore. -- If the sound of the closing bell, the sight of negative news headlines, or the thought of your 401K is keeping you awake at night, you’re not alone.

It’s no secret that the economy’s causing Americans to stress out. Of course, stress can lead to sleepless nights.

Kyle Dawkins began suffering from insomnia (eMedicine article on insomnia) two years ago.

“It's incredibly frustrating,” Dawkins said. “You lie awake sort of blinking and you can't turn off. You desperately want to and you can’t.”

Dawkins started seeing Doctor Josh Ramseyer, the Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital. He said ten percent of the adult population has chronic ongoing insomnia.

“During times of stress, that number is just going to go up,” Ramseyer said.

Ramseyer said many patients complain of mind racing. Lost jobs, lost health insurance, foreclosures, simply not being able to pay the bills is preventing many patients from falling asleep and staying asleep.

Ramseyer said there are many ways to minimize mind racing. He suggests writing down your worries, then listing possible concrete solutions.

“If that stresser comes up again and they cay say to themselves I’ve already dealt with that and I have a solution for that. Then it's easier to put away,” Ramseyer said.

Ramseyer warns against forcing sleep. He said it’s OK to get up if you can’t sleep and go to another room in the house.

“You need to do something relaxing like watching TV or read a book in a dim environment,” Ramseyer said. “Don't go back to bed until you start feeling drowsy again.”

He said, whatever you do, don’t get up and continue to work if you can’t sleep.

“If you can't fall asleep at night one of the worst things you can do is get up and take care of your to-do list for the next day because in a sense that rewards you for being up in the middle of the night.,” Ramseyer said.

In fact, you should put away all work-related material long before bedtime. That means shutting down the computer and taking time to relax.

If you still can’t sleep, see a specialist. They may prescribe sleep medication. Ramseyer said, sleep aids can be a useful tool.

He does not consider them a last resort.

“Sleeping meds will only work if used in the right context,” Ramseyer said. “By that I mean sleeping medications must be administered at the right time and a person's sleep hygiene and person's sleep schedule must be optimized.”