Life

The best time to have sex? It's 10.20 if you're in your 40s, 10pm for 50-somethings

Hang on, Tiger, it's only a quarter past...
Hang on, Tiger, it's only a quarter past... Hang on, Tiger, it's only a quarter past...

THE best time of day to have sex depends on how old you are, according to a body clock expert.

Dr Paul Kelley, honorary associate in sleep, circadian and memory neuroscience at the Open University, worked out the perfect time to make love, whatever your age.

His calculations show that 3pm is the magic moment for 20-somethings. They can experience desire at any time of the day but tend to be groggy in the morning, so afternoon is the prime time for passion.

By the time we get to our 30s, an age-related shift in the body clock means we wake up slightly earlier than in our 20s. This allows us to make the most of the morning sunlight, which boosts levels of the sex hormone testosterone in both men and women – and makes 8.20am a good time to get frisky.

Sleep quality deteriorates with age, and by middle age we might want to have sex around bedtime, to trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes rest.

Dr Kelley suggests getting intimate at 10.20pm for those in their 40s and 10pm for those in their 50s, who will have woken up earlier.

In our 60s and beyond, we should be getting up and going to sleep significantly earlier, so schedule sex for around 8pm to provide a soothing surge of oxytocin to help you drift off to sleep.

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