40% of working mothers suffer depression

Working mothers are becoming more depressed and exhausted as they struggle to hold down a job and raise a baby, a survey shows today.

The poll of 2,000 parents showed that new mothers are barely surviving on three-and-a-half hours of sleep as four out of five cannot strike the right balance between work and family life.

Almost 40 per cent say they are spiralling into depression, according to the Mother & Baby magazine's Sleep Survey 2005.

It shows that three quarters of women say sleep deprivation has affected their work. But half claim their boss does not understand, despite businesses losing more than two weeks in sick leave per child as mothers are forced to take time off to cope.

More than 40 per cent of new mothers say that their exhaustion-is straining their relationship-More than half report that becoming a parent has spoilt their sex life, with 84 per cent preferring sleep to sex.

The majority of mothers resent going to work, with 70 per cent feeling guilty about leaving their children. "It is this pressure that is making new mothers depressed and exhausted," said Elena Dalrymple, editor of Mother & Baby.

The report is cold comfort for Tony Blair, who put improving family life at the centre of Labour's election agenda. The Government has pledged to extend maternity leave from six to nine months by 2007, having increased the statutory pay to ?106 per week in April.

The magazine report backs calls to extend maternity leave to 12 months.