Fatigued Face due to lack of Good Sleep

Temporary bouts of insomnia can be caused be many things. Stress is a frequent culprit, as is temporary illness. If you're having trouble sleeping and if neither stress nor illness are causing it then often the best place to look is at your diet. Changing your diet can have a big impact on your ability to sleep.

1. What Not To Eat.

Anything containing the stimulant, caffeine should be avoided. This includes coffee, tea, colas, chocolate candy and some Non-Drowsy medications. Depending on your metabolism, you may have to give up caffeine completely, rather than just avoiding it in the evening.

Alcohol consumption is also should be avoided. Not only might alcohol prevent you from getting to sleep it is also likely to cause you to wake during the night.

Your intake of sugar or any refined carbohydrates should be reduced as much as possible. Not only can excess sugar create a burst of energy in your system during the night which can keep you awake, it can also prevent serotonin production (a natural sleep agent).

2. Food That Can Actually Aid Sleep.

• Warm Milk: A warm glass of milk before bed can do wonders. When warmed, the releases a chemical, trypotophan, which promotes sleep. If a mug of warm milk seems a bit bland, then consider adding a spoonful of honey.
• Foods containing complex carbohydrates such as pastas, cereals, oatmeal, potatoes and brown rice help ward off insomnia. The body responds to complex carbs by producing serotonin, which is a sleep-inducing hormone.
• Poultry and fish contain niacin, a form of vitamin B3, that promotes serotonin production.
• Lettuce, it contains an opium-like substance that, if eaten as part of your evening meal can help the body and mind relax.
• Fresh lemon juice contains a natural version of some common ingredients of prescription pills.

Aside from substances consumed, you should also look at your consumption patterns. Try to avoid large evening meals. Eating too much close to bedtime is likely to result in an upset stomach that will either keep you awake or wake you up in the middle of deep sleep. It's not only healthier in general, but also better for insomnia sufferers, to eat a large breakfast and finish the day with a small meal.

For many people, paying careful attention to your diet and eating habits can both treat and prevent insomnia.

Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two of these 10 foods. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin

1. Bananas. They're practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.
2. Chamomile tea. The reason chamomile is such a staple of bedtime tea blends is its mild sedating effect - it's the perfect natural antidote for restless minds/bodies.
3. Warm milk. It's not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan - an amino acid that has a sedative - like effect - and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus there's the psychological throw-back to infancy, when a warm bottle meant "relax, everything's fine."
4. Honey. Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that's linked to alertness.
5. Potatoes. A small baked spud won't overwhelm your GI tract, and it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the soothing effects, mash it with warm milk.
6. Oatmeal. Oats are a rich source of sleep - inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy - plus if you've got the munchies, it's filling too.
7. Almonds. A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can be snooze-inducing, as they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.
8. Flaxseeds. When life goes awry and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.
9. Whole-wheat bread. A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it's converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs "time to sleep."
10. Turkey. It's the most famous source of tryptophan, credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that's actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when your stomach's basically empty, not overstuffed, and when there are some carbs around, not tons of protein. But put a lean slice or two on some whole-wheat bread mid-evening, and you've got one of the best sleep inducers in your kitchen.