Hi maz,
The first day/night and following day are the worst for me in regard to withdrawl-related anxiety. I've certainly read this is a common symptom for anyone in withdrawl, but agree it can be worsened by being a worrier. You worry about anxiety and it increases the anxiety! I'm learning to recognize my anxiety and once I do that, I say out loud, "It's just anxiety - no sense in fighting it - it will pass." This is incredibly helpful to me.
With sleeping, I have a couple of thoughts:
1. I also thought I had to drink to sleep. And eventually thought I needed to drink more in the night when I woke up. Miraculously, I found that I could sleep much better than ever once I was about a week sober.
2. I would think you could go to your physician and ask for an anxiety medication that will help you to sleep without disclosing that you were drinking (assuming you're done with that now). I believe you said you're a nurse so assume you would know what to watch out for as far as which medication classes should be avoided. That's not medical advice - just suggesting you could seek medical assistance for the sleeping/anxiety issue.