Life begins at forty winks

Published: 8:32PM GMT twenty-two February 2010

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Edith Sitwell"s father, the individualist Sir George, counted between his ambitions the feat of a full night"s sleep. He was mostly disappointed. "I contingency ask any one entering the residence never to protest me," he would discuss it visitors, "as it interferes with the functioning of the gastric juices and prevents my sleeping at night."

In the own days the supposed habit has been that from center age onwards we need less nap at night. That might mostly have seemed groundless when the warning went off in the morning, but we bowed, wearily, to science. Now science, as we inform today, has altered the mind. Not usually do comparison people need usually as most nap as a 30-year-old, but the delight fends off cognitive spoil the dismay dementia. The usually difficulty is that it becomes harder to nap uninterruptedly at night, on comment of dust in the physique time or a little such circadian malfunction.

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Occupations for the small hours turn a dinner-party subject between the over-50s, in the approach that anticipating a great propagandize is to a younger generation. Cleaning the silver, repotting the cyclamen, updating the residence book, all are estimable tasks for 4 in the morning. But they do not have up for lost sleep. So it is time for the siesta to lose the symbol of dignified turpitude. To work at the nap is a certain avocation to self and nation. Are we lying comfortably? Let"s zzzzz.