At 31, there are moments in life that make me feel like I’ve got my s**t together and others that leave me screaming, crying and proclaiming, ‘I’m just a baby’.

According to a new study, the latter might actually be true, as the official age at which you ‘become an adult’ has been revealed – and it seems I’m not quite there yet.

Neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge have claimed that on average, adolescence (the period during which you develop from a child into an adult) actually lasts until the age of 32.

So if you’re approaching the big 3-0 and still don’t feel like a fully-fledged adult, you might want to cut yourself some slack.

What happens to our brain in our 30s?

Cambridge’s MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit compared the brains of 3,802 people between zero and 90-years-old using MRI diffusion scans. From here they identified four pivotal ‘turning points’ between birth and death, when our brains ‘reconfigure’.

The first turning point comes at the age of nine, when our childhood brain transitions into adolescence. This period ends at 32, when the brain’s neural wiring shifts into ‘adult mode’.

Dr Alexa Mousley, a Gates Cambridge Scholar who led the research, explains: ‘Around the age of 32, we see the most directional changes in wiring and the largest overall shift in trajectory, compared to all the other turning points.

‘While puberty offers a clear start, the end of adolescence is much harder to pin down scientifically. Based purely on neural architecture, we found that adolescent-like changes in brain structure end around the early thirties.’

Throughout your 30s and beyond, brain architecture ‘stabilises’ compared to previous phases with no major turning points for three more decades. During this time, regions of the brain slowly become more compartmentalised and there’s also a ‘plateau in intelligence and personality’, which has been seen in other studies.

The next turning point takes place at 66, which marks the start of ‘early ageing’ and then ‘late ageing’ begins at around 83-years-old. 

The (unofficial) signs you’ve officially become an adult

Whether you’re 32 or not, you’ve probably had a moment at one point or another that made you feel well and truly like an adult.

Perhaps it was when you switched banks to get a free Apple Watch, or the first time you had to call your GP to book your own doctors appointment.

I asked my colleagues to share the moment they knew they had reached adulthood and the responses were interesting…

Here are Metro’s signs that you’re an adult now, regardless of your age…

• When you become excited to purchase a new vacuum cleaner, fridgeor any kind of kitchen equipment. You’ll probably have 129232 photos of the same toaster pinned on Pinterest.
• Getting into gardening as a hobby and not just because you have to do it (special mention goes to avid watchers of Gardeners World).
• Going to a nightclub and discovering that you are now those ‘weird older people’ you’d always see on a night out when you were 18.
• Walking around with your hands behind your back, not to take the p*ss out of your dad, but because it’s actually quite a comfortable way to walk.
• Realising that getting pants and socks for Christmas isn’t lame, it’s GREAT.

• You can no longer wake up without something inexplicably aching and you start making noises when getting up from the sofa.
• Listening to BBC Radio 4 and actually enjoying it.

• Noticing that yes, you are starting to get wrinkles and religiously applying SPF everyday.
• Suddenly finding yourself really into olive oil, and committing to spending £20 on a fancy brand.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

Princess Diana’s nieces, Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, made an impact in shoulder-baring mermaid gowns as they attended the Franca Fund Gala 2025 at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.

Martha Stewart rocked skinny jeans for American Eagle’s Give Great Jeans Campaign holiday campaign, and her fans had the same reaction

Queen Rania of Jordan put a modern spin on 2016’s viral sock boot as she stepped out for a visit to the University of Jordan.

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Summer may bring warmth, sunshine, and an excuse to sip a tinnie in the park before it even hits midday, but winter means cosy season and lots of layering. 

A good coat is needed to get you through the blustery days, and if it can look great too, that’s an added bonus. Right now, New Look is offering 25% off all coats and jackets, and there are some amazing gems at a bargain price. Be rude not to have a peek, right?

This Dark Khaki Faux Leather Trench Coat is down from £79.99 to £59.99, and a perfect silhouette to take you from days in the office to evenings out. The subtle khaki tones will work with any outfit, and the matching belt lets you play with the shape.

This Brown Bonded Faux Suede Coat with Faux Fur Trim is giving us ’70s vibes, and the plush faux fur lining will keep you cosy. Wear over a maxi dress and boots or pair with some wide leg jeans and a soft knit.

Lusting after the Charlotte Simone Penny Coat? This Dark Brown Faux Fur Trimmed Faux Suede Coat is the perfect dupe, and it’s now just £67.49.

The Burgundy Unlined Longline Belted Coat is one of the brand’s bestsellers, and down from £59.99 to £44.99. The collar and belt give it a structured finish, and customers say the brushed fabric feels so soft.

‘Material is nice & thick to keep you warm & also allows you to wear thin to thick jumpers underneath,’ Allie Lou said in her review. ‘For the price I’d say it’s excellent value for money’.

We think a faux fur coat is a worthwhile investment for many winters to come. It’s stylish, instantly elevates a look, and feels warm and toasty. This Faux Fur Midi comes in a gorgeous chocolate brown and is now £52.49,  while this Longline style is £59.99.

Add a touch of drama with the Dark Burgundy Panelled Faux Fur Jacket for £47.99, or try something subtler like this Short Shacket with a faux fur collar.

The offer won’t last long, so get browsing!

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You’re not the only person who can’t get to sleep.

Hannah Townsend has suffered with insomnia her entire life. From not sleeping well as a baby to constantly running on empty in her 30s, it’s been a painful everyday reality.

Recently, the presenter and TikTok creator spoke about her experience online – sharing with her audience the very real physical and mental impact insomnia has on her life. And it’s safe to say that it resonated a lot with the public.

One in three people in the UK suffer with insomnia – but while this should mean we understand and empathise with people who struggle to sleep, it’s often trivialised.

Psychologist and sleep adviser, Dr. Ritz Birah, has a number of clients who describe ‘living on a constant edge of tiredness: starting the morning already depleted, and ending the day wired but exhausted.’

Sharing insight into her own personal struggles, Hannah sat down with Metro to discuss exactly what it’s like to live an entire day as an insomniac.

A day in the life of an insomniac

The night before Hannah and I spoke, she managed to get some sleep at around 4am.

Starting work around 9am, she describes her mornings as a ‘fog.’ ‘I’m trying to rally with very little sleep and honestly I just feely very cloudy,’ she explains.

Physically, it’s in the morning when she most clearly can see how her lack of sleep has affected her. ‘When I go through these periods I look really really bad, I look extremely tired – which is actually feedback I get all the time…’

For insomniacs, ‘the morning brings heaviness rather than renewal,’ Dr Ritz notes.

Often referred to as a ‘sleep hangover,’ insomniacs tend to produce more cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone) in the morning, as their nervous system tries to compensate for inadequate rest.

As the afternoon rolls around, Hannah feels restless, explaining that she’s noticed recently how her insomniac-related anxiety has began to start plaguing her earlier in the day.

From about midday onwards, she starts spiralling about the prospect of not being able to fall asleep that night. Painfully, the fear of not sleeping often becomes the very thing that prevents rest.

To try and combat this, the TikTok creator has adopted a pretty intense mindset: ‘If I do as much as I physically can during the day to exhaust myself – and I’m already exhausted as I’ve not slept the night before – like go to the gym or go out in the evening, I’m hoping that when my head hits the pillow I will be so tired that I will just sleep,’ she explains.

A fellow insomniac, who watched one of Hannah’s TikTok videos, shared this sentiment, commenting: ‘Lifelong insomniac since childhood here as well. Once you get to the point of having anxiety about going to sleep, it’s really difficult to overcome.’

As the evening starts to wind down, Hannah’s thoughts are still racing, sharing that even if she’s exhausted when she gets into bed, her mind is totally ‘alive.’

It’s painfully clear that there’s a strong connection between the mental and physical affects of insomnia. ‘Sleeplessness isn’t only a biological issue but also a reflection of unprocessed emotion or persistent mental load – the mind staying awake to what hasn’t yet been felt,’ Dr Ritz explains.

Hannah also mentions how she’s never been someone who’s struggled with masses of anxiety outside of her insomnia – a common misconception some people have.

‘I do things like make videos, I present – I don’t have anxiety about those things. I love meeting people and I’m very social. I’m not a socially anxious or super anxious person in general. it is just this one very specific area I feel anxiety around.’

Despite desperate attempts to shut off her brain – including listening to episodes of the Get Sleepy podcast which paint highly descriptive pictures of fantasy scenarios such as ‘A Dreamy Search for Big Foot,’ – Hannah is only able to drift off for an hour or two.

And so, the cycle repeats itself.

The anti-sleep stigma

‘It doesn’t go down well if you tell people that you don’t like sleeping,’ Hannah explains.

‘People love to sleep, people love to nap – and it’s something that I am so stressed by. I mean, of course I love to sleep well – but I don’t, so I can’t relate to someone who’s obsessed with sleep.’

And she’s right. Sleep is marketed to the public as the magic remedy to – well, everything. Got a cold? Have a nap. Feeling anxious? Make sure you get your eight hours.

So, being anti-sleep is not exactly a relatable opinion – and it can lead to insomniacs feeling isolated and unheard.

Kathryn Pinkham, insomnia expert and founder of The Insomnia Clinic, strongly believes insomnia isn’t taken seriously enough in the UK, noting how in society it’s often classed as ‘just a bad night’s sleep.’

‘In reality it’s a serious condition with real mental and physical health consequences. Research and medical attention are growing, but compared to other health issues, sleep still doesn’t get the priority it deserves,’ she adds.

Dr Zoe Gotts, a clinical psychologist specialising in sleep medicine at The London Sleep Centre, mirrors this line of thinking, stating that ‘if someone was living with chronic pain, we wouldn’t tell them to just ‘relax’ or ‘stop worrying.’ Yet people with insomnia hear that sort of advice all the time, and it can add shame and frustration, which only makes the cycle harder to break.’

Dr Gotts also wonders if part of the reason insomnia is not taken seriously enough is because the UK has a ‘cultural tendency to push through tiredness.’

But this ‘tiredness’ has the ability to totally demolish lives. Another specialist Metro spoke with, Dr Allie Hare, a consultant in sleep medicine and the President of the British Sleep Society, has treated patients with insomnia who’ve seen their marriages break down, lost their jobs, or completely stopped going out because of this condition.

What are the long term effects of insomnia?

Some of the more immediate physical symptoms insomniacs may notice are things such as muscle tension, eye strain and sensitivity to pain.

And while these may sound relatively straightforward, symptoms like these can have a big impact.

According to Dr Hare, ‘insomnia is associated with an increased risk of workplace-related errors and accidents leading to injuries and disability.’

It’s also associated with ‘a 45% increased risk of developing and/or dying from cardiovascular disease, an increased risk of hypertension; diabetes; heart failure and an increased risk of metabolic syndrome’.

Other studies have also shown that prolonged sleep issues can lead to neurological disorders such as ‘parasomnias and sleep-related psychiatric disorders.’

Insomnia is ‘highly treatable’ – it can get better

Dr Gotts stands by the statement that insomnia is ‘highly treatable,’ it’s just that patients are often not directed towards the right solution.

At The Insomnia Clinic, the staff focus on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for patients – with Kathryn noting that it’s the most ‘effective approach.’

‘It combines education about sleep, behavioural changes, mindset work, and strategies like sleep restriction and stimulus control to reset our body clocks,’ she explains.

The founder has seen just first-hand how treatment can help patients regain control of their life.

‘One patient hadn’t slept more than 2–3 hours a night for months due to tinnitus and then menopause,’ Kathryn says. ‘She followed the steps and the biggest impact for her was learning to stop trying to control her sleep. Small, consistent changes gradually helped her get to a consistent 6-hour sleep window, which helped her improve her mood. Before the treatment, she was feeling very low and anxious. Seeing someone regain control of their sleep, and with it, their life, is why I love what I do!’

However, for those who haven’t got down the treatment programme route, like Hannah, it’s still an uphill battle. Having tried all kinds of medication to try and combat her insomnia, the presenter is still looking for the thing that might help.

In the meantime, she’s just pleased that her video made an impact.

‘I’ve never had a response like with the insomnia video – I get up to 30 direct messages a day alongside thousands of comments from people who’ve gone through similar things,’ Hannah says.

‘I’m trying not to be cliché, but it will get better – I’ve found that. You’re not the only person who can’t sleep.’

Queen Rania of Jordan’s ‘high-impact’ metallic two-piece from the Franca Fund Gala in Doha, Qatar on Sunday, 23 November is the most glamorous royal outfit of autumn 2025.

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At the moment, we’re experiencing those darker, bleaker mornings. And nothing makes you want to hit snooze and lie in bed for longer than the sound of an ear-splittingly obnoxious alarm. 

But, what if things could be different and you could awaken to a peaceful morning sunrise every day? Ah, but you can – with a Lumie alarm clock.

The Lumie Spark 100 is designed to help you rise and shine naturally, and it’s now under £100 in an unmissable offer at Argos. 

Unlike harsh alarms that jolt you awake, the Spark 100 uses a 30-minute gradual sunrise to gently simulate dawn, helping your body wake up naturally. 

In the evening, a 30-minute fading sunset helps you unwind and prepare for sleep – ideal as the nights draw in.

Lumie Bodyclock Spark 100 Wake-Up Alarm Clock

The Lumie Bodyclock Spark 100 uses a gradual 30-minute sunrise to wake you naturally and a gentle sunset to help you unwind before bed. Its mixed LEDs mimic real daylight, while the display automatically dims with the light in your room. Features include a snooze button, optional alarm beep, power failure back-up, and even has Quiet Mark approval for ultra-quiet operation. Compact and stylish, it’s ideal for easing dark mornings and improving sleep.

BUY NOW FOR £98.96

There are loads of little details that make the Lumie Spark 100 such a clever bedside upgrade. 

There’s a snooze button for when you just can’t face getting up, an optional alarm beep if you need an extra nudge, and even a power back-up so you’ll never oversleep. 

It’s also been given the seal of approval from noise-abaters Quiet Mark, meaning it’s literally one of the quietest in its class – perfect for peaceful mornings.

Its display cleverly dims itself to match the light in your room, so there’s no blinding glow in the dark, and the mixed LEDs recreate natural sunrise and sunset colours for a gentle wake-up or wind-down.

And it’s not just for grown-ups either as the soft nightlight mode makes it a lovely, calming addition to kids’ rooms too.

The Lumie Spark 100 has a sleek design and compact size and looks good on any bedside table and, once you’ve tried it, you’ll wonder how you ever managed dark mornings without it.

‘Amazing alarm clock with different brightness settings,’ said a review left by a user named Grace. ‘It’s made getting up in the morning so much easier!’

‘As someone who finds difficulty waking up in the morning, especially during the winter months, I can confidently say this has made waking up so much easier,’ said a reviewer named Liza. ‘Highest light option is strong enough to light up a whole room. Some might consider it an overpriced alarm clock but I don’t regret the purchase. Even though I’m not using the sunset option, it’s still nice to have it. I will absolutely recommend it. It has made my mornings much better.’

And a glowing review from a user called NJJ9 said: ‘Really helps me to wake up in a better mood. I use a separate alarm clock as well and just use the wake up light in the Lumie but it really helps me not feel so down. I also love the sunset feature and use it every night as it helps me drift off. I didn’t realise how down I was in the mornings until I saw the difference using this. I always just thought I wasn’t a morning person but now I think it was more than that.’

Don’t settle for dark dismal mornings, embrace the light and shop for a Lumie now, while it’s on offer!

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Cat Deeley opted for a gold mini dress from Marks & Spencer for Tuesday’s This Morning, and she teamed it with a pair of black Anine Bing cowboy boots and thick black tights. Shop the look.

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If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your living room in time for the festive season, now might be your moment because Sofa Club has just launched its biggest Black Friday sale ever, and the discounts are seriously impressive.

The brand, known for its chic designs and surprisingly affordable prices, Sofa Club has kicked off the 2025 event with huge savings across its most sought-after collections. 

From cloud-soft cosy corner sofas to sleek Scandi styles, these standout pieces are already causing a stir.

First up is the Nobu in Black Clouds & Soft Cloud, the plush, deep-seated sofa that’s become something of a cult favourite among interiors lovers. 

With its soft chenille finish and modern, sink-in comfort, it’s now 20% off, dropping from £1,599 to £1,279 – not a bad saving for a sofa that looks straight out of a designer showroom.

Sofa Club Nobu in Black Clouds & Soft Cloud

Featuring incredibly soft chenille upholstery and a customisable modular design, the Sofa Club Nobu in Black Clouds & Soft Cloud is suitable for every space. Its contemporary design has deep seats for ultimate comfort and the sharp lines keep the sofa looking clean and minimalist.

BUY NOW FOR £1,279 (WAS £1,599) – SAVE 20%

For those who prefer a lighter, calmer aesthetic for their living room, The Dreamer range in Vanilla Latte is also included in the sale at 15% off. 

With its linen-look fabric and warm neutral tone, it’s the sort of sofa that makes any room feel instantly calmer and more expensive.

Those with bolder tastes aren’t left out either. The Kate in Stormfront, a rich chenille modular style, is now £1,359 down from £1,599 and the kind of statement piece you’d expect to see in a celebrity house tour – and now it comes with a rather welcome discount.

One of the biggest drops in the sale comes from the ever-popular Oslo Luxe Chenille range. Available in Pale Linen or Deep Charcoal, every configuration (including footstools) has been slashed by a massive 50%, taking prices from £1,599 to £799. If Scandi simplicity is your thing, this is the deal to watch.

Sofa Club Oslo Luxe Chenille

Relax in style with the Scandi-inspired Oslo Luxe range. Upholstered in soft linen chenille and with high-back cushions and roll top seat design, this elegant, understated sofa is comfortable but luxurious.

SHOP NOW FOR £799 (WAS £1,599) – SAVE 50%

The Sofa Club Black Friday event is officially live now, with savings of up to 50% across selected collections. 

But with deals at this level, anyone hoping to refresh their space before Christmas might want to get clicking as these deals won’t be around forever. 

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