I've been into 45 year olds since I was 20 by the way. The age gap between myself and 45 year olds is rapidly narrowing.
When I was in my teens and early 20s, there were women in their 30s/40s who I found attractive. It's common to be physically attracted to an older woman.
Having sex with a substantially older woman is a decent experience once or twice earlier in life, so long as it is a casual sex arrangement and it doesn't prevent you from getting with a woman near your own age. Older woman-younger man arrangements tend to be shorter term. There might be a way to seduce a 35-42 year old woman as an 18-23 year old man.
In life, time is finite and it's difficult to attract big age gaps. Women are at their physical peaks between 18-25 and it is easiest for a man to attract these women while he's under 30.
If you really desire sex with 30s/40s women, the best time in life to do that is during your 30s/40s. Have sex with 30s/40s women who are slightly younger than you are. As a 37 year old man, it is easier to have sex with a 34 year old woman than a 21 year old woman.
Is there anything different about the approach a man should use when trying to get a woman significantly older than himself?
Also, seeing as a decent chunk of that age range is old enough to be my mom, how do I get past the "I couldn't bring myself to do a bedroom session with a guy young enough to be my son" roadblock that a lot of older women have?
There are women who will find it validating to have sex with a man young enough to be her son. It makes them feel better about themselves. There are 35-54 year old women who are very into sex with 18-25 year old men. Find a way to find them. They are more difficult to find as the typical 40-45 year old woman isn't seeking sex with a college aged man.