Poor dietary habits, that is the consumption of poor quality food, or just not consuming enough of the right type of food, is just another one of the various causes of the condition of insomnia.

There's simply no doubt that the food you eat, as well as when and how you eat it, has a massive impact on your health - well it absolutely does play a large role in the mind re-training routine needed for the ability to cure insomnia naturally - for good!

The important and naturally occurring amino acid known as tryptophan (TRIP-TOE-FAN) is a seriously needed food substance required as an aid to inducing sleepiness. It's the main bulder of the relaxing neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin.

An ideal evening meal is one that includes a decent complex carbohydrate with a smaller portion of a tryptophan-containing protein. It mustn't be too big or too spicy and would be best eaten 3-4 hours before bed.

A late night snack can also be beneficial for sleepiness, just as long as it contains the same carb/protein proportions and is only "snack sized".

It only stands to reason then that a high protein, low carb meal, should be reserved for the early part of the day - this combination simply gives you energy and makes falling to sleep a difficult prospect.

Here's a small but helpful list of ideas for some evening time tasty tyrptophan-filled suppers and snacks that can help you get into a comfortable sleepy state;

Meats - red meats/poultry - with veggies or salads

Chili with beans - probably shouldn't be too spicy

Seafood and pasta

Parmesan cheese with pasta and fresh ginger

Scrambled eggs and toast

Hummus and pita bread

Roasted/steamed turkey with jacket potato

Baked rice pudding with cranberries and walnuts - no sugar

Peanut butter sandwich - delicious with some thinly sliced onion!

Handful of hazelnuts

Light, lean, unspiced meals or snacks are the best evening/late night meal types. It's likely that those who are prone to heartburn and other stay-awake stomach issues would especially benefit.

Overly large or spicy and high fat content meals are very likely only going to create havoc with your digestive system and keep you (and whoever's in bed with you) awake.

In summary; stress, lack of healthy exercise, the need for the re-training of your brain and poor sleep hygiene, a poor diet is one of the other causes of insomnia and also needs to be treated very seriously.