Cereal
When this is eaten before bed, it can help you get better sleep. This is mainly because this food contains two main components for falling asleep: carbohydrates (from the cereal) and calcium (from the milk).
Rice
White rice especially, has a high glycemic index that makes eating it significantly slash the time it takes for you to fall asleep, which helps you fall asleep faster. This is why some people complain that after eating rice, they can't help feeling sleepy or immediately falling asleep.
Honey
The natural sugar in honey slightly raises the insulin and allows tryptophan (an amino acid that helps induce a natural calming and sleep inducing effect) to enter the brain more easily. A spoonful of honey before bed can help to give you a more restful sleep.
Walnuts
Walnuts are another good source of tryptophan, the sleep-enhancing amino- acid that helps to make serotonin and melatonin, the 'body clock' hormone that sets up your sleep-wake cycles. In addition, walnut also contains its own source of melatonin, which in conjunction with the function of tryptophan can help you fall asleep faster.
Warm Milk
This tried and true sleep aid also contains tryptophan and is high in calcium; this contributes to its relaxing effect and ability to help you fall asleep faster. Combining milk with carbohydrate rich foods like oatmeal, granola etc. makes its much more effective as a sleeping aid.
