Let’s talk about something that’s probably been on your mind at 3 a.m. – along with that mortgage refinancing you meant to sort out in 2019 and whether you turned off the hob. Sleep. If you’re lying awake wondering whether your changing sleep patterns are normal, or if you’ve been told you’re “sleeping too much” by someone who clearly hasn’t tried to maintain a career, a household, and a semblance of sanity simultaneously, you’re in excellent company.
Here’s the truth: the narrative that sleep naturally deteriorates after 50 is yet another limiting belief we need to challenge – like low-rise jeans being flattering or decaf coffee being acceptable.
Why Sleep Matters More Than Ever in Your Renaissance Years
Sleep isn’t just about beauty rest (though frankly, we’ve earned the right to all the beauty rest we can get). It’s the foundation that supports everything you’re building in this next chapter:
Your cardiovascular system gets a nightly tune-up. During sleep, your blood pressure naturally dips, giving your heart and blood vessels a well-deserved break. Studies from the National Sleep Foundation show that consistent, quality sleep can reduce cardiovascular disease risk by up to 22%. Your heart, unlike your teenager, actually appreciates a curfew.
Your immune system goes into overdrive. Research from the University of California, San Francisco reveals that people who sleep less than six hours nightly are four times more likely to catch a cold. For those of us navigating new ventures and opportunities, we can’t afford to be sidelined by whatever plague the person coughing on the Tube has generously shared.
Your brain conducts its nightly housekeeping. While you sleep, your brain literally washes away metabolic waste products, including proteins associated with cognitive decline. Think of it as your brain’s night-shift cleaning crew – working while the office is closed to ensure everything’s pristine for the morning. Unlike actual office cleaners, they won’t judge you for the number of chocolate wrappers in your mental wastebasket.
Your emotional resilience gets restored. Stanford researchers have found that even partial sleep deprivation amplifies negative emotional responses by 60%. Which explains why, on three hours’ sleep, you might find yourself weeping at a John Lewis advert or composing strongly-worded emails to people who say, “Can I pick your brain?” without offering lunch.
Your body repairs and rebuilds. Human growth hormone, released during deep sleep, maintains muscle mass and bone density. This isn’t about turning back the clock (that ship has sailed, along with our ability to digest pizza at midnight); it’s about ensuring your body can keep pace with your ambitions.
Your metabolism stays balanced. The relationship between sleep and weight is biochemical, not willpower-based. Insufficient sleep disrupts hormones that regulate hunger and satiation – specifically, it increases ghrelin (which makes you hungry) while suppressing leptin (which signals fullness). Harvard Medical School research shows that people who sleep less than six hours nightly have a 30% higher risk of obesity. So yes, you can literally sleep yourself thinner. Take that, 5 a.m. boot camp evangelists.
How Sleep Evolves (Not Deteriorates) After 50
Forget what you’ve heard about needing less sleep as you age – that’s nonsense, probably started by the same people who claim wine doesn’t count as fruit. You still need 7-9 hours, just like you did at 30. What changes is the architecture of your sleep:
Your internal clock shifts earlier. Your body starts producing melatonin earlier in the evening – this isn’t a sign of ageing, it’s simply a circadian rhythm adjustment. Some researchers call this “advanced sleep phase syndrome,” which sounds alarming until you realise it just means you’re ready for bed at 9:30 p.m. Suddenly, you understand why restaurants have early-bird specials, and frankly, they’re geniuses.
Sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented. You may wake more frequently, but this doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality sleep. It’s your brain’s way of staying more alert to your environment – an evolutionary advantage from when we needed to watch for sabre-toothed tigers. Now it’s mostly useful for hearing the cat knock something expensive off a shelf at 2 a.m.
The afternoon energy dip becomes more pronounced. That post-lunch slump isn’t laziness – it’s your circadian rhythm. Mediterranean cultures have been honouring this with siestas for centuries, while we’ve been mainlining espresso and pretending we’re alert in meetings. Perhaps it’s time to admit the Spanish were right about everything except paella with chorizo.
Recognising When Sleep Needs Attention
Sometimes what looks like “sleeping too much” is actually your body compensating for poor quality nighttime rest. Watch for these patterns:
Feeling exhausted despite spending adequate time in bed (and no, scrolling Instagram under the duvet doesn’t count as “bed rest”).
Loud snoring or gasping during sleep (if your partner has started wearing industrial ear defenders to bed, this might be you).
Needing multiple daytime naps to function (beyond the strategic post-lunch “meditation session” with your office door closed).
Difficulty concentrating or memory issues that seem new (forgetting why you walked into a room doesn’t count – we’ve all been doing that since 40).
If any of these resonate, it’s worth a conversation with your GP. Sleep disorders are highly treatable, but they’re often dismissed as “just part of ageing.” They’re not – unlike the mysterious appearance of reading glasses in every room of your house.
The Insomniac’s Guide to Actually Sleeping Again
Quality sleep rests on three foundations:
Duration: Yes, you still need those 7-9 hours. That’s a non-negotiable fact. You want your brain to work, don’t you?
Continuity: Uninterrupted sleep allows you to cycle through all sleep stages, including the crucial REM sleep, where memory consolidation and emotional processing occur – or as I call it, the nightly filing system that prevents you from calling everyone “darling” because you can’t remember their name.
Consistency: Your body thrives on routine. Irregular sleep schedules are like constantly crossing time zones – exhausting and disorienting. Although, at least with actual jet lag, you’ve been somewhere fabulous.
Your Strategic Sleep Upgrade Plan
Think of this as optimising your most important daily investment (besides that eye cream that costs more than a small car):
Create your own sleep den. Your bedroom should be a temple to rest – cool (around 18°C is optimal), dark (invest in those blackout curtains), and quiet. Consider your mattress an investment in your daily performance, not an indulgence. Yes, it costs more than your first car, but unlike that car, it won’t break down on the M25.
Establish a power-down ritual. Just as you wouldn’t slam on the brakes at 100 mph (though you might have tried in your twenties), you can’t expect to go from full throttle to deep sleep instantly. Build a 30-60 minute wind-down routine. This might include gentle stretching, reading fiction (save the business books for daylight), or practising meditation. Or watching property programmes where people with enormous budgets complain about perfectly lovely kitchens.
Master your light exposure. Morning light exposure helps maintain your circadian rhythm – aim for 10-30 minutes of natural light within an hour of waking. Evening blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production. Use blue light filters or, better yet, go analogue after 9 p.m. Yes, this means tackling the tower of books by your bedside. The bonus being that your brain and concentration will benefit while being protected from the horrors of the screen.
Rethink your relationship with caffeine. Our caffeine sensitivity increases with age – that afternoon espresso that never bothered you at 35 might be sabotaging your sleep at 55. Consider a noon cutoff for caffeine, including sneaky sources like dark chocolate and certain teas. I know, I know, that’s an unpopular recommendation.
Move strategically. Regular exercise improves sleep quality, but timing matters. Morning or afternoon workouts can enhance nighttime sleep, while evening exercise might be too stimulating. A study from Northwestern University found that aerobic exercise four times weekly improved sleep quality in older adults by 65%. And no, wrestling with Spanx doesn’t count as resistance training.
Navigate nutrition wisely. Avoid large meals within three hours of bedtime. Indigestion and sleep are incompatible bedfellows, like wearing white and eating spaghetti bolognese. (I once nearly ended a lovely relationship with my favourite mentor by managing to tip a spaghetti bolognese in his direction when making a point of great import.) A Mediterranean-style diet rich in omega-3s, magnesium, and tryptophan supports sleep. And while that nightcap might seem civilised, alcohol fragments sleep and increases middle-of-the-night awakenings. We don’t have to join the Generation Z Temperance club, but save the Chablis for lunch with friends rather than quaffing it at night.
Consider targeted supplementation. Magnesium glycinate, L-theanine, or melatonin might help, but consult your healthcare provider first. My husband introduced me to magnesium glycinate after despairing of having a sensible morning conversation with me – and it’s helped both me and our marriage.
Your sleeping arsenal may be different along with earplugs, an eye mask, and occasionally, separate bedrooms if your One and Only Snores Too Much. And then – oh fury – denies it.
The Bottom Line
Your sleep might be changing, but it doesn’t have to be declining. Like everything else in this phase of life, it’s about working with your body’s evolution, not against it. Quality sleep isn’t a luxury or a sign of laziness – it’s the foundation that supports everything else you’re building.
Remember, you’re not “sleeping your life away” – you’re investing in the energy, clarity, and resilience you need to make these next decades more impactful. After all, some of the world’s most successful people, from Jeff Bezos to Arianna Huffington, credit their achievements to prioritising sleep.
So tonight, instead of scrolling through one more article about “anti-ageing” (at Wise-Up we’re decidedly pro-ageing), give yourself permission to create the sleep den you need. Your future self – the one crushing those ambitious goals and remembering where she left her keys – will applaud you.
Sweet dreams, and here’s to waking up ready to conquer whatever comes next. Or at least ready to find your reading glasses and make a proper cup of coffee.
