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Hi Karina
It is 'normal' when doing progressive muscle relaxation exercises (which is what you are doing) to become aware of the amount of tension in your body, so you are actually doing it 'right'. But the point is not to put pressure on yourself to 'do it right' or say to yourself, "I must relax, and darn, I can still feel tension in my neck, I must relax". Falling asleep when you first start out doing this kind of relaxation work or meditation, is a normal, very common problem. It usually means that you are not getting enough sleep at night, which you have said is the case with you. So this is normal. Don't beat yourself up about it.

You may find it helpful in the beginning stages to get yourself an audio relaxation program or a book about progressive relaxation. Or even just look it up on the web. The more you persist with it and practice most days, the better it gets, and you start to not fall asleep. I think progressive relaxation exercises is a marvelous tool for anyone suffering anxiety. Over time, it lowers your baseline anxiety so that you don't get that adrenalin 'rush' or panic sensation so often during the day. It can take 4-6 weeks for the benefits to really start to appear, but if you remind yourself of this and stick with it, it can be very helpful. I know some people prefer meditation, but I find progressive relaxation more effective for anxiety, distress or panic. The tense/release method is the best in my experience, though you can find an audio for a meditation of body-scanning which is similar. It is free online (I just don't recall where but a search will bring it up). Hope this helps