Not sure if this is related, but as a type one diabetic, I can tell you that it very hard to sleep with low blood sugar. I’m sure mine goes lower in the night than a normal person, as mine can get down to 40-50 at times from taking too much insulin or a hard workout day. A normal person is usually around 70-80 throughout the day, unless it’s after a meal. Also, the lower the blood sugar, the more lucid my dreams. Maybe because I’m not sleeping as soundly. I don’t know. Just thought that I’d add this.
Something as major as sleep is unlikely to be massively improved by a tiny part of the diet
When I first tried the honey I used an organic, but lightly heated variety which worked very well. After switching to raw local honey it didn’t work as well. I’m trying different varieties, according to this study conducted by the Australian Government different varieties of honey have different glycemic indexes ranging from low to high. In the outcomes they say ‘The results of this study showed that different honeys could have significantly different effects on blood glucose and insulin levels, due to differences in their sugar content and physical form, and should not all be classified as one type of food for people with diabetes.’ This information may be more important than whether the honey is raw or not. If the honey increases fasting blood sugar or gives you reflux then perhaps try a different variety to see if there’s a difference? I’m also curious about whether sucrose would work however honey (unlike table sugar) is a natural food and has antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti fungal properties, can kill pathogens and candida, prevents biofilm formation, (see here has prebiotic properties promoting the growth if beneficial microbes in the intestine and also has 
antioxidants. ( and also It appears that honey, much like fruit, has many other benefits to eating it in small quantities (it seems our preference for sweet things after meals takes care of this anyway). I can’t see how table sugar would be beneficial compared to honey or fruit but it still may improve sleep.
Re Susan’s point: we routinely eat two sorts of honey, both sparingly (i) Local, and (ii) Manuka honey from New Zealand.
Our most recent experiment was honey from Pitcairn Island: we found it in a drawer; presumably it was an old Christmas present.
J Food Sci. 2007 Apr;72(3):S224-9. The effect of honey compared to sucrose, mixed sugars, and a sugar-free diet on weight gain in young rats. Chepulis LM.
“Overall percentage weight gain was significantly lower in honey-fed rats than those fed sucrose or mixed sugars, despite a similar food intake.”
“Weight gains were comparable for rats fed honey and a sugar free diet although food intake was significantly higher in honey-fed rats.”
Honey is a very complicated substance, containing lots of substances in varying amounts, depending on what kind of plant the bee harvested.
I wonder whether any beneficial effects might be due to the micro components rather than sugars. When I was a child, my family took great stock in honey as a treatment for the common cold but I had trouble eating it on account of the overly sweet taste.
Very interesting post
I doubt it, for two reasons. One is that, if so, our liking for sweetness and the institution of dessert would remain mysteries. This is the lightning doesn’t strike twice in one place for different reasons argument. The other reason is that something hugely important (sleep) was massively improved. It would be like building something essential for life that depends heavily on a tiny hard-to-get part. Sure, we require micronutrients (such as vitamins) for many things. But the vitamins we need are not hard to get and deplete very slowly. It is really hard to get scurvy, for example.