'Ageing to set in early for BPO employees'

Ageing would set in very early for sleep-deprived youth working continuously on night shifts in BPO firms, warn experts.

"Heavy food during night, skipping breakfast, eating lunch in the evening and all such irregular habits affect their health," says Dr Lim Li Ling, Deputy Director, sleep disorders unit, Singapore General Hospital.

Besides premature ageing, their overall performance would be affected due to lack of proper sleep, Ling, who is specialising in neurophysiology and was recently here in connection with a seminar, says.

"The performance of youths working in night shifts is affected. Since, they are sleep-deprived, their efficiency and alertness is less compared to those who sleep sufficiently. Their concentration is hindered due to lack of sleep"