In an eye-opening insight into the sexual behaviours of the elderly, a study of 2500 online daters has revealed that seniors’ early bedtimes have nothing to do with wanting more sleep.

93% of over 70s said sex is important in a relationship 84% of over 70s said sex gets better with age Over 70s are more ok with casual sex than singles aged 18-30 Over 70s are less accepting of celibacy than singles aged 18-30

Sorry, seniors still have sex - and a lot of it

The survey by dating site EliteSingles found that 93% of over 70s believed sex to be ‘important’ in a relationship, with 37% rating it as ‘very important’. Thirty-seven percent of seniors also said they ‘couldn’t stay in a sexless relationship’, and it’s no wonder why – 84% of over 70s said sex gets better with age.

No rest in their twilight years: Over 70s want sex more than singles in their 20s

In a finding that’s sure to surprise (and perhaps dismay), the study showed that seniors over 70 have a higher desire for sex than singles aged 18-30. Indeed, celibacy was considered less acceptable for older singles than the younger ones; just 7% of seniors said they were ‘happy without sex in a relationship’, compared to 14% of the 18-30 year olds.

The over 70s were also more accepting of casual sex; 79% said they don’t need to wait for a solid relationship commitment before having sex, a sentiment which was shared with just 69% of younger singles.

Grandma puts her back into it

A gender comparison revealed that older women are the slightly more fervent fornicators; 93% of women think the quality of sex improves with age and experience, compared with 76% of men. Women are also the more zealous daters; only 4% said they lacked the energy or mobility to join the dating scene, compared with 23% of men.

Romance isn't dead

They might have been around the block, but that doesn’t mean seniors have lost their faith in love. Even after break-up, separation and divorce, 96% believe you can fall in love at any age and 87% of single over 70s believe love could be just around the corner for them. Sixty percent of seniors still believe in love at first sight, and superficial attraction remains important; the face, chest and bottom were voted the top 3 most attractive features in an older person.

Psychologist says, 'there's no age limit to eroticism'

EliteSingles’ Psychologist Salama Marine said that “People tend to feel uncomfortable with the idea of senior sexuality because it has nothing to do with reproduction; senior sex is purely about love and sexual fulfilment.

But in a society often too associated with youth, we tend to forget that there is no age limit to desire and eroticism. We must recognise that today’s seniors have lived through society’s sexual liberalisation and enjoy the same sexual freedom as the rest of us.”