Women in their 30s are exhausted by the demands of a career, motherhood and running a home, researchers say.

A study has found that these women believe this is their “hardest decade”, with many admitting to feeling stressed, missing sleep and skipping meals.

And in their 40s, when those who have delayed motherhood must cope with young children, are almost as bad.

According to the study, the pressure on these women is putting their health at risk.

About 85 per cent of those surveyed said they “frequently feel tired” and 59 per cent “feel tired all the time”. Only 25 per cent regularly get seven or eight hours sleep a night, while 75 per cent were “lucky if they get six hours”. Forty per cent usually slept less than six hours a night.

Meanwhile, the vast majority in their 30s and 40s are stressed out and have to snack their way through the day because they don’t have time to eat properly…

Marina Crook, editor of Top Sante magazine, which carried out the research, said: “When 30-something women say they are ‘tired and stressed out of their minds’, they probably are.

“Tiredness and stress are the ailments of our age and combined with a poor diet they cause low immunity and ill health…

Source: Adelaidenow, Australia
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22501078-910,00.html