Does Warm Milk Really Help a Person Fall Asleep?

Milk contains various amino acids such as tryptophan that has sleep-inducing properties. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which people have to obtain from their diet since the body is unable to produce it. When tryptophan is broken down, a small portion of tryptophan is used to create serotonin, a brain chemical which gets converted into melatonin, a hormone that helps a person sleep.