Do cell phones emit radiation?

Your phone emits low levels of radio frequency (RF) energy, a form of non-ionizing radiation. Unlike other forms of radiation, there's no evidence that non-ionizing radiation, such as RF energy, is harmful. RF energy may heat your tissues, but the levels emitted by your phone are not high enough to do so.

Can I sleep with my phone next to my bed?

Sleeping with your phone beside your bed may stimulate your brain while trying to sleep, especially if you get late-night notifications. Placing your phone on the opposite side of your bedroom may prevent your phone from disrupting your sleep. Use the "do not disturb" mode to limit distractions if you must sleep with your phone beside your bed. Although your phone emits low levels of non-ionizing radiation, you may want to avoid sleeping with your phone next to your bed to decrease your exposure to RF energy.

How far away should your phone be when you sleep?

Try placing your phone at least a few feet away while sleeping. Keeping your phone underneath your head or pillow or tangled up in your blankets may increase the risk of severe burns. Your phone's battery may overheat if it does not get enough airflow. Keeping your phone a few feet away from you reduces potential exposure to blue light that disturbs your natural sleep cycle.

Using Your Phone in Bed: 3 Reasons To Avoid It

Getting good sleep is critical for mental and physical health, and using your phone in bed can make that difficult. Research has found that people who use their phones frequently, especially before bedtime, are likelier to report insufficient and poor-quality sleep than others.

Read on to learn about the risks of sleeping with your phone, how to sleep with your phone safely, and what you can do to change your habits for better, sounder sleep.

Addicted to social media girlfriend in pajama scrolling through cellphone while sitting in bed near sleeping boyfriend in modern bedroom at night — Ezequiel GimÃ©nez/Stocksy

1. Disrupts Sleep Cycles

Research has linked phone and screen use to disruptions in circadian rhythm, or natural sleep-wake cycle. A review published in 2018 noted that phone use within one to two hours of going to bed impacts sleep negatively, particularly in toddlers and children.

Levels of melatonin, the hormone that makes you tired, usually increase before you go to sleep. Your phone emits blue light, inhibiting melatonin production, making you more alert and not as sleepy as you usually would be.

Your sleep cycle includes rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, or when most dreams happen. REM sleep helps with emotion and memory processing. Nighttime exposure to blue light can reduce the length of REM sleep, making you feel less alert. You may take longer to be fully awake in the morning than usual.

Getting enough quality sleep helps you destress and makes you feel productive the following day. Research has found that a lack of sleep and poor-quality sleep increases stress. Even one night of disrupted sleep may make you fatigued, decreasing productivity.

2. May Pose a Fire or Burn Risk

Though rare, only arising in isolated incidents, there's a risk of your phone's battery catching fire. A fire in bed or a phone explosion can cause significant physical harm. Research has found that burning or overheating batteries have caused several second-degree burns.

Second-degree burns may cause symptoms like:

Blistering
Pain
Redness
Swelling

Samsung recalled one million Galaxy Note7 phones in 2016 because of the risk of severe burns.

3. Stimulates Your Mind

It's not just blue light that interrupts your sleep. Research has found that insomnia rates have risen with increased phone use among the general population.

Consider how you interact with your device. Phones are a boundless source of information, which can provoke a state of arousal and alertness. That stimulation may make it hard to fall and stay asleep.

The interactive nature of phones—that they require active control—may worsen matters. Some evidence suggests nighttime phone usage and other interactive devices like video games have a more pronounced effect on sleep than passive nighttime screen activities, such as watching TV.

How To Get Better Sleep

Knowing that phones can interrupt your sleep, it's essential to think about what you can do to regulate your use. Parents might consider being mindful and ready to establish solid ground rules since technology can particularly impact children and adolescents.

Here are some steps to stop your phone from affecting your sleep:

Adjust the lighting: Bright lights, such as 100-watt light bulbs, can reduce melatonin levels, making it hard to fall asleep. Keep the lighting in your bedroom dim.
Create a ritual: A consistent and relaxing bedtime ritual can help you fall asleep easily. Try going to bed and waking up at the same times daily.
Make the bed a screen-free zone: Reserve your bed for resting or sleeping only. Consider keeping your phone out of your bedroom or placing a moratorium on use for at least an hour before bedtime. Never work in your bed.
Set up nighttime mode: Late-night texts may negatively affect your rest if your phone is nearby. Consider keeping your phone on "do not disturb" mode at night.
Try alternatives to using your phone in bed: Read, listen to calm music, meditate, or talk with a partner instead of using your phone. Those activities help you relax and make you tired before bed.
Try to limit overall screen time: Research has linked screen time to poor sleep. Figuring out ways to reduce computer, phone, and TV time may help with sleep. For example, establish a rule not to use devices while eating meals.

A Quick Review

Nighttime screen use negatively impacts sleep. Using your phone in bed makes falling and staying asleep hard and may interrupt your natural sleep cycle.

Giving your body the sleep it needs is essential to maintaining your overall mental and physical health, and it may mean checking your phone habits. Limiting your overall phone use, especially one hour before bed, and keeping your bedroom a comfortable, screen-free zone helps ensure quality rest.

Talk to a healthcare provider about what you can do if you are concerned about your phone use or regularly have trouble sleeping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do cell phones emit radiation?

Your phone emits low levels of radio frequency (RF) energy, a form of non-ionizing radiation. Unlike other forms of radiation, there's no evidence that non-ionizing radiation, such as RF energy, is harmful. RF energy may heat your tissues, but the levels emitted by your phone are not high enough to do so.
Can I sleep with my phone next to my bed?

Sleeping with your phone beside your bed may stimulate your brain while trying to sleep, especially if you get late-night notifications.
Placing your phone on the opposite side of your bedroom may prevent your phone from disrupting your sleep. Use the "do not disturb" mode to limit distractions if you must sleep with your phone beside your bed.
Although your phone emits low levels of non-ionizing radiation, you may want to avoid sleeping with your phone next to your bed to decrease your exposure to RF energy.
How far away should your phone be when you sleep?

Try placing your phone at least a few feet away while sleeping. Keeping your phone underneath your head or pillow or tangled up in your blankets may increase the risk of severe burns. Your phone's battery may overheat if it does not get enough airflow.
Keeping your phone a few feet away from you reduces potential exposure to blue light that disturbs your natural sleep cycle.

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