Have you hit middle age? The way you sleep may have the answer

SPM2Middle age is one of those things that creeps up upon us so slowly that we don’t notice it happening until, Wham! There it is. Suddenly you notice a whole string of things about yourself that you hadn’t previously associated with getting older.

Strangely a lot of these signs of ageing relate to sleep, so we’ve compiled a list of things that might help you tell if you’ve hit middle age yet. See how many you identify with and you be the judge.

 

 

 

An afternoon nap seems like a good idea

Once upon a time you never would have dreamt of taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon to give you a little extra energy. Naps were for those who lacked stamina and determination to press on with the task at hand.

Now, you find all those ‘healthy lifestyle coaches’ were talking sense after all – an afternoon nap does help you recharge those batteries a little.

 

Your Pyjamas are ‘Practical and Comfortable’ rather than ‘Sexy and Seductive’

Once over your pyjamas were all satin, silk and lace. Even your winter pyjamas for the coldest of nights still had the potential for seduction. You never would have dreamed that cotton and flannelette would seem like a sensible choice for pyjama material.

Who ever would have thought that you’d end up wearing pyjama’s similar to the ones your mum used to wear. We’re sorry to say it but when your pjs are all about comfort you’ve definitely hit another landmark sign of middle age.

 

No matter what position you sleep in, things still ache.

Remember the days when you used to reluctantly crawl into bed, absolutely shattered from the days exertions, but still resentful of the fact that you needed to go to sleep? You’d lay there for 10 minutes or so before drifting off to sleep without a notion of an ache or pain anywhere.

Now if you struggle to remember a night where you didn’t go to bed and lay there for at least an hour, trying to achieve something like a comfortable sleep position, then you’ve probably identified another sign of middle age.

For some unknown reason muscles and joints just ache for no apparent reason and no sleep position seems to make a difference. Perhaps it’s time to consider a memory foam mattress to help you spread your body weight more evenly and absorb some of the pressure on those joints.

 

Bed time is no later than 10pm

It can be a startling discovery to make, but at some point on the way to middle age, we start planning our evenings around getting to bed at a reasonable hour. Subconsciously we choose an earlier cinema screening or booking a restaurant table for 7 instead of 8. TV programmes that run past the watershed get recorded and watched at a more sociable hour the next day.

 

Lie-ins are a thing of the past

Once over Sundays were a day for a little rest and recuperation. The alarm clock was set for an hour (or two) later than usual and anyone who dared disturb your lie-in was skating on thin ice!

Now, probably because you get to bed at a very sensible hour, you don’t need a lie-in. Besides, lazing around in bed all day means you miss out on the opportunity of a nice leisurely Sunday morning stroll…

 

We hope that you’re not too down in the dumps if you identify with more of these sleep patterns than you’d like to. If you’ve got any funny experiences of recognising the onset of middle age, let us know in a comment on this blog.