Cell Phones and Sleep
Here's one more reason to turn off those cell phones long before bedtime: they may mess with your sleep!
Earlier this year a new report emerged indicating that people who were exposed to the radiation emitted by cell phones just before bedtime took longer to get to sleep and spent less time in deep sleep - that magical place where your body refreshes and restores itself.
These findings confirm other studies done, including one that showed teens who use their cell phones late at night complain of tiredness. (And we all know that any teen who has a cell phone uses it for as long as possible at night.)
Ironically the study was funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Association, which of course called the results "inconclusive."
I love reports like this, because whether or not it's true that cell phones disrupt sleep patterns, it gives me one more reason to tell people to turn them off! We still don't know if mobile phones can also increase one's risk for brain cancer (although I think the jury is leaning toward a no on that one), but regardless, I think we could all live a little better if we cut back on how long we spend on our cell phones. Unless someone is telling you a bedtime story over the phone, most conversations tend to be stimulating. And the mere act of having a lively discussion with someone while holding a phone to your ear is not all that relaxing. I'd rather be getting a massage from my spouse and sharing funny stories from the day, or plunging my imagination into a book.
The fact cell phones may disrupt sleep shouldn't freak you out, but it should be a wake-up call to at least think about removing cell phones from your life within an hour before bedtime. In my book, Beauty Sleep, I go into great detail about the habits of good sleepers and which things you should do - or not do - in preparation for sound sleep.
Giving yourself time to unwind and literally power down before slipping into bed is key to healthy sleep. And now we can add cell phones to our list of no-nos. I know that for some people this can be a challenge, especially if you're 100 percent wireless and this would mean making NO calls at all before bedtime. But consider that a luxury in this day and age. If you can turn not only your cell phones off but also yourself OFF for at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime, I bet you'll feel a world of difference the next day...and the day after that.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: cell phones, sleep
Earlier this year a new report emerged indicating that people who were exposed to the radiation emitted by cell phones just before bedtime took longer to get to sleep and spent less time in deep sleep - that magical place where your body refreshes and restores itself.
These findings confirm other studies done, including one that showed teens who use their cell phones late at night complain of tiredness. (And we all know that any teen who has a cell phone uses it for as long as possible at night.)
Ironically the study was funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Association, which of course called the results "inconclusive."
I love reports like this, because whether or not it's true that cell phones disrupt sleep patterns, it gives me one more reason to tell people to turn them off! We still don't know if mobile phones can also increase one's risk for brain cancer (although I think the jury is leaning toward a no on that one), but regardless, I think we could all live a little better if we cut back on how long we spend on our cell phones. Unless someone is telling you a bedtime story over the phone, most conversations tend to be stimulating. And the mere act of having a lively discussion with someone while holding a phone to your ear is not all that relaxing. I'd rather be getting a massage from my spouse and sharing funny stories from the day, or plunging my imagination into a book.
The fact cell phones may disrupt sleep shouldn't freak you out, but it should be a wake-up call to at least think about removing cell phones from your life within an hour before bedtime. In my book, Beauty Sleep, I go into great detail about the habits of good sleepers and which things you should do - or not do - in preparation for sound sleep.
Giving yourself time to unwind and literally power down before slipping into bed is key to healthy sleep. And now we can add cell phones to our list of no-nos. I know that for some people this can be a challenge, especially if you're 100 percent wireless and this would mean making NO calls at all before bedtime. But consider that a luxury in this day and age. If you can turn not only your cell phones off but also yourself OFF for at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime, I bet you'll feel a world of difference the next day...and the day after that.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: cell phones, sleep
9 Comments:
Frankly, Cell phone wether is on or off doesn't bother me at all (nobody calls me at my cell phone anyway, and even at night) and I sleep better only if the thermostat of the room is at a comfortable temperature setting. Amazingly, a nice relaxing time in the tub helps me to go to sleep even better!
hello there i myself got a cellphone it don;t brother me at night i always turn mine off working 12hours who;s won't to hear a phone ring i got better things to do besides talking all day don't get me wrong yes they come in handing on the road but not at home
Ironically I was just talking with my granddaughter about my cell phone conversations at night might be the reason i have difficulty sleeping. That you for the conformation of that.
Long before I got a cell phone I had problems going to sleep. I tell you what will help you go to sleep faster... have kids less than a year apart
This article says two things:
1)cell phones emit radiation that enters the brain and alters brain function, and
2)the jury is out on whether cell phones cause cancer but it is leaning toward no.
If cell phones emit radiation that alters brain function, then the odds are overwhelming that they also cause brain cancer. It has been known since at least the 1800's that intense radiation in close physical proximity to living things kills the living things. PERIOD. And the reason for this is known. It is because life is sustained by chemical reactions and the formation of molecules that have weak chemical bonds that are easily damaged by radiation. Damage enough of them, and you're dead.
You cannot logically make statement 1) above and statement 2) above, because they contradict each other.
The answer? Use speakerphones, bluetooth or wire-connected ear-buds and keep the phone at least two feet away from all body parts, especially the head, chest and genital areas. The intensity of radiation declines as the square of the distance. If a cell phone is one inch from your brain tissue when you hold it to your ear, the radiation becomes 24 x 24 = 576 times weaker if you hold it two feet away. To put it another way, the radiation is 1/576th at two feet as it is at one inch. And as to whether the radiation coming from cell phone is strong enough to do damage at all, cell phones put out enough radiation to send signals to radio towers for long distances, and that takes a lot of power.
Why risk your life for a tiny bit of convenience?
If any doctors or scientists out there read this and disagree, I invite their responses.
I am no doctor or scientist.. I am, in fact, a high school student, but the article doesn't say that it's inconclusive.. The article says that it's ironic that the company who funded the results called it inconclusive.
It's odd that I should read this today --for I have been having sleeping problems. Last night before I went to bed my phone died on me and I was too "lazy" to plug it in. Amazing fact is, I slept like a baby and I didn't have problems going to sleep last night.
A great number of "posters" need to learn how to spell and put a proper sentence together. I agree that cell phones should be turned off whenever you're not using them. I only use mine for travel and I ALWAYS pull off the road to use it.
It's definately not a good idea to take your cell phone or laptop into the bedroom at night, or at least switch them off before you go to sleep. In today's world it's very easy to be on call 24 hours a day
with texting and emails. There is nothing more disruptive to your sleep than the sound of an incoming
text or email. To induce sleep have a warm bath just before you go to bed, avoid caffeine during the
evening and keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature with plenty of ventilation.
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