Hi, thank you for the question. Insomnia is a common complaint in adults. In your case, insomnia can be due to psychological stresses caused by your pain. Anxiety is a very common cause of insomnia in adults. This is due to tension, excessive worrying in the future events and overwhelmed by responsibilities.

As you mentioned you are a competitive cheerleader, a chronic ankle injury definitely take its tolls on your practices and future competitions. You are worried the prospect of participation and performance in the team. As time goes on, this injury is still persisting worries you a lot. Inevitably, you are caught up with anxiety that can affect your sleep profoundly.

Over a period of time, some people may even develop anxiety of going to bed, knowing that they can not sleep at all. It is a cycle that keeps on going and affect your daily living. In the long term, insomnia can cause you to perform less well in school, affect you body and mental health. It is useful for you to practise relaxation training, helping to loosen the tensed muscles of your body, eventually achieved a relaxed mind.

This calms you down and helps you to sleep greatly. For examples, breathing techniques using your nose to inhale, filling all your lungs. Then, hold the breath for 3 seconds. Slowly breathe out the pursed lips, relaxing your facial muscles. You can practise healthy sleep hygiene. Avoid using digital devices at least 1 hour before sleep, try reading some books and magazines before sleep.

If you have hard time falling asleep after 20 minutes, wake up and try to do some relaxing activities, such as reading books or listening to music. Hope this helps and have a good day !!!