New Delhi, Oct. 2 -- Indian women in the prime working age are piling up significant amounts of "sleep debt", with household duties and child-rearing likely posing the biggest challenge, a recent Mint analysis of sleeping habits in the country showed.

Women's sleep deficit when compared to men expands to nearly 30 minutes in the 30s, the age group when family duties are at their peak, the analysis showed. Even in this age group, 70% of rural men and 66% of urban men still manage eight hours of sleep, but the corresponding shares for women are 50% and 45%.

There is no gender gap in childhood and adolescence, and it starts appearing only later as different gender roles become visible.

The analysis used raw data from the government's 2024...