Empty nest syndrome seems to typically set in once the kids are actually gone. I'm also not sure anyone's quality of life drastically improves due to that one f

Empty nest syndrome seems to typically set in once the kids are actually gone. I'm also not sure anyone's quality of life drastically improves due to that one factor, anyway. It's mostly young kids that really disrupt your life, not any kids at all. You can travel and leave a 16 year-old home alone, and that should be old enough to not worry if they can hear you having sex. The next big quality of life jump is when they no longer depend on you financially, but that is likely to happen well after they move out, not immediately.