Stress may cause lack of sleep

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk looks just like an ordinary Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it has a 707-horsepower supercharged V8 that can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. It’s in a class of car Road and Track Magazine calls “sleeper cars.” Well, if you want to be high performance, you should aim to be a super sleeper.

But is this you? You head for bed at a good hour, so you should be able to get seven to eight hours of sleep. But can’t doze off. Well, there’s a good chance you’re bringing daytime stresses into bed: You worry about that task at work you didn’t finish; you panic over an unpaid bill.

You’re in luck. There are proven ways to deal with your disruptive stress response and cruise off into dreamland.

— Eat a light, healthy dinner, three to four hours before turning in. Stay clear of fatty animal proteins and inflammatory processed foods that amp up your stress response.

— Get at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily (but not right before bedtime). Combine aerobics and strength training to dispel stress and ease depression.

— Skip that nightcap. Your body needs a few hours to process alcohol before you snooze, otherwise it may wake you later when it clears your system.

You exercised, ate healthfully, skipped that drink. Now slide between the sheets. It’s time to try five minutes of mindful meditation (instructions at www.sharecare.com). You’ll learn to be in the moment, and in the next moment, you’ll be asleep.