A Lib Dem colleague said: "Nick is a bit fragile, and needs lots of rest and time off."
The Deputy Prime Minister gave an insight into the pressure he was feeling in an interview with Kirsty Young for Radio 4's Desert Island Discs last year in which he admitted that he considered not taking up the role on the formation of the Coalition government last May.
When asked whether he had "achieved the balance of work and family," he replied: "Right now, it is falling on Miriam's shoulders and I've failed utterly, but hopefully I can balance it out a bit over time."
In a speech earlier this month announcing new plans to increase the amount of paternity leave, he said: "Despite the fact fathers can request flexible working, many feel reluctant to do so.
"There is still a stigma attached. And, when a child is born, men are still only entitled to a paltry two weeks of paternity leave."
He said the "Edwardian" rules "patronise women and marginalise men".
The leaked memo was sent from a civil servant in Mr Clegg's office whose identity The Sunday Telegraph knows but has agreed not to reveal. It simply reads: "dpm's box closes @ 15.00 on monday-thursday and 12.00 on friday."
It is normal for boxes to be closed early on Fridays as most ministers head home to their constituencies then.
Earlier this month, Mr Clegg praised the ordinary heroes of what he called "alarm clock Britain", describing them as "people who have to get up every morning and work hard to get on in life".
Michael Dugher, a Labour MP who spent eight years as a special adviser to several ministers, said he had never heard of a government member finishing official business so early. "While the rest of Britain is asked to do more for less, and while so many people are losing their jobs or seeing their living standards eroded, Nick Clegg seems to be clocking off after lunch and putting his feet up."
A spokesman for Mr Clegg said last night: "This is a general guide for routine submissions from other Whitehall departments to allow our office to work on them before putting them in the box.
"Our private office takes a pragmatic and flexible approach where our office works with others across Whitehall to ensure that urgent submissions can be put in to the DPM's box at a later time. This is no different from the system used by other private offices across the Government."
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