Cell Phone Radiation and Your Health: How Cell Phones Affect Your Sleep

How do cell phones affect your sleep? 

It’s an important question because millions of people are so attached to their phones that they even take them to bed. 

Technology has enabled people to play games, conduct business, connect with friends, and watch movies from a single device. As useful and fun as that technology is, it has a downside. 

Exposure to cell phone radiation and blue light while sleeping can lead to major sleep disturbances – even insomnia. 

How else can a cell phone affect people’s sleep? 

person using smartphone in bed

How Cell Phones Affect Your Sleep – 4 Ways They Disturb Slumber

Sleep is vital for health. If it’s neglected or interrupted, the effects are devastating. The person’s ability to function is significantly reduced. Here’s how a lack of sleep affects the body: 

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Reduced problem-solving capabilities
  • Reduced reaction time
  • Increased weight gain
  • Increased likelihood of illness
  • Increased illness duration
  • Increased risk of lifestyle diseases, including heart disease and stroke

Adequate sleep gives the body a chance to repair itself without interruption. However, a person’s electronic device can reduce or eliminate the opportunity the body has to do that. Here are four reasons cell phones mess with a person’s sleep cycle. 

1. Harmful EMF Radiation

EMF radiation is electromagnetic radiation – waves within the electromagnetic field that carry radiant energy. These Include microwaves, gamma rays, radio waves, X-rays, infrared, ultraviolet, and light.

The sun naturally emits EMF waves, and most electronic appliances emit them as well. 

Some scientists believe that too much exposure to EMF radiation can be harmful, including the possibility that it’s carcinogenic. 

While some believe this is still up for debate, there is a consensus that exposure to cell phone radiation while sleeping can have some adverse effects. Particularly, this type of radiation can interrupt restful sleep. 

2. Phone Notifications Disrupt Sleep

The constant ping of notifications from social media, emails, reminders, and texts can be jarring while trying to sleep. Thankfully, newer devices let people turn off notifications and turn on the Do Not Disturb feature. Older phones, however, don’t always have these features, so it’s best to switch them off or leave them outside the bedroom. 

3. The Information on the Phone Can Lead to Sleepless Nights

Social media can be a great way to keep in touch. Too much of it, though, can lead to negative emotions, like imposter syndrome and depression. 

Similarly, having access to work and email on a phone is incredibly convenient. It also means that many people aren’t leaving work stress at work. 

Spending too much time on an electronic device before bed can lead to stress, anxiety, and sleepless nights. 

4. Blue Wave Light Makes It Hard to Fall Asleep

A 2015 study found that sleep was interrupted when people were exposed to the radiation and blue light emitted from cell phones. 

Blue wave light is on the lower end of the visible light spectrum and has short wavelengths and high energy levels. The human eye can’t block out blue light, which over time can cause eye strain and even damage to the retina.

Blue light can also trick a person’s brain into thinking it’s daylight when it isn’t, thereby making it harder to fall asleep at night.


Keep All Electronic Devices Out of the Bedroom

It’s not just cell phones that can adversely affect a person’s health and sleep. This is because all electronic devices – including tablets, cell phones, laptop and desktop computers, and Wi-Fi routers – emit levels of radiation and can thus inhibit restful sleep. 

How can people protect themselves? 

Cell Phone Radiation and Sleep – How to Reduce Your Exposure

Of course, the best way for someone to reduce their exposure to radiation is to keep electronic devices – including their phones – out of the bedroom. Other ways to reduce exposure include: 

  • Text instead of talking on the phone
  • Don’t carry a phone in a pocket, holster, or bra
  • Hold the phone away (or set it down and walk away) when downloading or sending large files
  • Avoid using the phone when cell service is weak (more radiation is emitted when the phone works harder)
  • Avoid using the phone in a car, train, or bus
  • Download videos, music, or movies first – then, watch them while the phone is on airplane mode

Anti-Radiation Cell Phone Cases

Another way to reduce exposure to excess EMF rays is with anti-radiation cell phone cases. SafeSleeve offers cases for laptops and tablets, too. 

Their electronic device sleeves have a lab-tested shield that can block up to 99 percent of the radiation emitted from these devices. The shielding technology has also been approved by the FCC because of its effectiveness. 

SafeSleeve – Protecting Customers, Community, and Relief Workers

SafeSleeve is committed to protecting consumers from the harmful effects electronic devices can have on people’s health. They’re also committed to helping their community in other ways. 

For example, through the end of April, SafeSleeve is donating 10 percent of their website proceeds to DirectRelief, a non-profit, non-partisan disaster relief organization. 

DirectRelief is currently taking donations for their COVID-19 medical relief program, which will help supply healthcare workers with the medicine and protective gear they need to serve those in their care.

Every time someone invests in SafeSleeve anti-radiation cell phone cases, they can take pride in the fact that some of that money is going to a great cause.

Ready to give SafeSleeve a try? We have a case for all your devices – phone, laptop, tablet. Check out our selection today