I had an image of what I looked like as I slept, until my partner shattered it

September 18, 2026 — 5:00am

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My partner sleeps like a turtle. During the day he is a man, and sensible and friendly, but at night he withdraws into a shell. He burrows into the bed, pulls the covers around his head, and disappears into a blanket.

He has done this for the entire course of our five-year relationship. I had assumed that this was just the way he’s most comfortable. Now, however, I have a different theory: I think I am the reason he is a turtle.

I am in my 50s and, while no longer in the bloom of youth, I think I’m doing okay for a woman of my age. I may not have the taut skin of Nicole Kidman, or the snatched waist of Jennifer Lopez, or the lustrous hair of Demi Moore, but I have wisdom, a sparkling personality, and a nice smile. Unfortunately, as I have recently discovered, none of these qualities are evident when I’m sleeping.

Recently, I saw a photo of myself taken when I was asleep. And while I hadn’t expected to look like Snow White in slumber, I certainly did not expect to look so much like her long-dead mother. It was truly disturbing. My skin looked grey, my face was slack, and my mouth hung open in a way more........

© The Age