If you’ve noticed your sleep isn’t what it used to be, you’re not alone. Many people in their 40s and 50s find it harder to fall asleep, wake up more often during the night, and rise earlier in the morning than they did in their younger years. While the total amount of sleep most adults need (around seven to eight hours a night) doesn’t actually change much with age, how we sleep does.
If you’re in your 40s or 50s and feeling utterly drained, you might put it down to work stress, family commitments or simply “getting older.” Middle age often comes with a full plate, and it’s easy to assume that exhaustion, irritability and brain fog are just part of the deal. But what if it’s not just burnout? What if something else - like undiagnosed sleep apnea - is silently draining your energy every night?
Have you ever felt an uncomfortable, almost irresistible urge to move your legs - especially at night or when you’re resting? If so, you might be experiencing Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), a condition that becomes more common - and more disruptive - as we get older.
Ever noticed that your snoring seems to have crept up over the years? If your 40s or 50s have brought more complaints from your partner — or if you’re waking yourself up with the noise — you’re not alone. Snoring becomes more common and more disruptive as we age, and for many, it’s more than just a harmless nuisance.
If you’re over 60 and finding it harder to fall asleep—or stay asleep—you’re not alone. Insomnia becomes increasingly common with age, and for many older adults, it’s more than just an occasional restless night. It can seriously impact your health, mood, and overall quality of life.
If you’ve been struggling with your weight or managing your blood sugar, you might be focusing on diet and exercise — and rightly so. But there’s another powerful, often-overlooked factor at play: your sleep. More specifically, undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea could be silently working against all your health goals.
We often think of sleep as a time when the body rests and recharges. But what if your sleep is silently working against your health? For many Australians, undiagnosed sleep apnea is doing just that—masking the signs of type 2 diabetes and delaying critical treatment.
Living with either sleep apnea or diabetes can be challenging—but when the two occur together, things can get even more complex. The good news? With the right approach, you can manage both conditions and feel like yourself again.
When we think about managing blood sugar, we usually focus on diet, exercise, and medications. But there’s a lesser-known player that could be quietly working against you each night: sleep apnea. It’s not just about snoring or feeling groggy in the morning—sleep apnea has a serious impact on your body’s ability to manage glucose, and it could be putting you at risk of type 2 diabetes without you realising it.
