INSOMNIA
Restful Foods 

Insomnia is usually temporary, of course, caused by too much coffee, perhaps, or anxiety about tomorrow's work. But sometimes insomnia really sticks around-not just for days but for weeks, months, or even years. There's good evidence that what you eat before going to bed can help turn out the lights on insomnia.
"When you put food in your stomach at night, you should be able to sleep better," says David Levitsky, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition and psychology. "Eating draws blood into the gastrointestinal tract and away from the brain. And if you draw blood away from the brain, you're going to get sleepy."
This doesn't mean that stuffing yourself at bedtime will send you off to dreamland. In fact, eating too much too late in the evening can leave you feeling bloated and gassy, which is more likely to keep you awake than help you sleep. But having a light snack just before bedtime will help give your body the message that it's time to nod off.
Turkey and chicken are very high in an amino acid called tryptophan, which has been shown to affect the part of the brain that governs sleep.The body converts tryptophan into serotonin, which is then converted into melatonin. Both serotonin and melatonin make you feel relaxed and sleepy. For tryptophan to be most effective, however, it's important to get it in combination with starches. When you eat starches - a bagel, fo example - the body releases insulin, which pushes all the amino acids except tryptophan into muscle cells. This leaves tryptophan alone in the bloodstream, so it's first in line to get into the brain.
Obviously, you don't want to stuff yourself with turkey before climbing into be at night. But having a glass of milk or a piece of cheese at bedtime will boost your levels of tryptophan, which will make getting to sleep a little bit easier.

A NATURAL SLEEP AID
Melatonin is found in a variety of foods, such as oats, sweet corn, rice, ginger, bananas, and barley. Doctor often recommend that people who have trouble sleeping take melatonin supplement. Having a banana or a bowl of oatmeal will slightly boost your your melatonin levels and help prepare your body for sleep. Even though scientist have identified a few key substances that help improve sleep, there's simply no substitute for having an overall healthful diet. So better your diet, the better your sleep is likely to be.
When people don't get enough iron or copper in their diets, it can take longer to fall asleep, and the sleep they do get may be less than refreshing.
The easiest way to get these minerals in your diet is to put shellfish on the menu. Just 20 small steamed clams, for example, will provide just over 25mg of iron, and 0.62mg of copper. Lentils, nuts and whole-grain foods are also good sources of iron and copper.
Magnesium is another mineral that's essential for good sleep. Not getting enough magnesium is especially common in the elderly since they may be taking medications that block its absorption. Good sources of magnesium include dried beans such as pinto and navy beans and green leafy vegetables such as spinach and Swiss chard. You can also get magnesium from soybeans, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, and almonds.
Finally, getting plenty of B vitamins in your diet may help take the edge off insomnia. The body uses B vitamins to regulate many amino acids, including tryptophan. Niacin is particularly important because it appears to make tryptophan work even more efficiently. Lean meat is an excellent source of all the B vitamins, including niacin. Canned tuna is another good source, with 3 ounces providing 11mg of niacin, 55% of the DV.

THE SLEEP ROBBERS
You already know that coffee can keep you up at night, but did you know that chocolate can also send your brain into overdrive?
It's not just late-night caffeine that leaves you staring at the ceiling. Since it takes 6 to 8 hours for the body to eliminate caffein from you system, even the coffee you had at lunch or the chocolate bar you had in the afternoon can keep you up at night.
Alcohol is one of the most common disturbers of sleep. Even though a glass of wine or a drink at bedtime can make you drowsy, these small amounts of alcohol can make the sleep you do get less restful. When you're having trouble getting to sleep at night, it's a good idea to skip the nightcap and maybe have a little milk instead