No sex, we're stressed

More than half of all men are so exhausted after a day in the office they would rather have an extra hour's sleep than more sex, a survey reveals.

The research also found that stress levels in men are rocketing and over three quarters of the male population claim they simply cannot remain alert for an entire working day.

More than six out of 10 men claim their work is by far the most demanding part of their life, with 52 per cent claiming they are too tired to enjoy their social life after a day in the office.

Dr Rob Hicks, a London GP, says the results are symptomatic of a shift towards men becoming incredibly career-focused.

"It used to be that we worked hard and played hard. Now we work hard and hardly play at all," he said.

"It's becoming increasingly difficult for men to strike a balance between work and home. We are working longer hours than ever before and it's our families that are suffering.

"This is something that has been happening for a long time but the tendency is for men to gloss over any problems - admitting your work is stressful is almost seen as a sign of weakness."

The average man feels alert for only three hours a day, according to the survey of 650 men.

The male obsession with sex also came under scrutiny in the research, sponsored by vitamin supplements manufacturer Berocca.

More than half of those surveyed admitted they would rather have an extra hour's sleep than have sex.

However, this does not stop men thinking about sex and 21 per cent admitted they thought about sex within a minute of a business meeting starting.

Dr Hicks believes there are simple rules men can follow to make their life less stressful including finding a less stressful way to get to work, not eating lunch at your desk and spending an hour a day doing something you enjoy.

Healthy foods such as pasta and rice, rather than chocolate and biscuits, are also recommended. Dr Hicks said: "I think we all realise that quite often people aren't going to get the vitamins they need, so taking a vitamin supplement is probably not a bad idea.

"Ideally, you would get all the goodness you need from a balanced diet but a 'slob' diet is far more common now; we go home, sit in front of the TV and eat chocolate, it's not a great lifestyle."

According to the study, 69 per cent of men are failing to eat properly.

Dr Hicks criticised many respondents for not making time to have breakfast, which he believes is by far the most important meal.

"Eating breakfast reduces the chance of sugar highs and lows," he said.

The survey also found that given a choice, 54 per cent of men would choose to spend more time with their family. However, 18 per cent said they would prefer a sports car, while only 13 per cent said they would rather have a sharper mind.

In the celebrity stakes, men credited TV presenter Carol Vorderman with having the sharpest mind, while Tony Blair was judged the brightest politician.