Why Moms Are More Tired Than Dads

Think parents are stressed as they balance work with childcare? Yep, but moms are more fatigued as they juggle work with the most stressful childcare duties, according to a Pew report of federal data. "Mothers spend much more time than fathers doing physical care—feeding the baby, giving baths," says the report's author. "They do more managerial and educational care, all of which requires a lot of energy." Moms carry that burden because old parental roles refuse to fade away, says expert Ellen Galinsky.

In other words, modern moms often have part-time or flexible hours that enable them to handle more parental duties, while men slog out long hours at the office, the Washington Post reports. That means moms tend to lie awake worrying about everything from kids to work to that stain in the basement sofa. Good news for moms: They find housework, paid work, and leisure time "more meaningful" than fathers do. But "when we asked women what they did when they had leisure time and could do something they loved, most said they did housework, so they could get it over with," says Galinsky. "That’s really sad." (More parents stories.)