i hope someone can help me, it is really urgent.

i have been trying to do the headlines of my thesis according to the scheme:

1.
1.1.
1.1.1

etc etc

but it doesnt work. i have tried changing the settings of the headlines, but it is all messed up and i dont know what to do. i was trying to do this:

1. headline

2. headline

2.1. next headline

but instead it is giving me this:

1. headline

2. headline

1.1. headline

i have no idea why it would start at 1.1. again, even though i already had a second level one headline.

the same problem exists with all the other lower level headlines.

can someone here help me out?