Cell Phones Blamed for Disrupted Sleep
There have been many claims and supposed findings about the impacts of electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and your health. So far, none of these studies have come up with hard proof that shows any real negative link. Now, a new study -- which found that the amount of radiation given off by a cell phone can disrupt your sleep -- is adding a little more gas to the fire,
The study, which was conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), showed that exposure to electromagnetic radiation resulted in disturbed sleep patterns, potentially affecting your body's ability to recover from a day of stress. This news is an eye-opening finding for gadget fans who have trouble nodding off at night, especially those who use the alarm clock function on their phones.
The study only involved 71 men and women, so we'd like to see some further testing performed with a somewhat larger pool of participants. Nevertheless, you can be sure we will be shutting off our phones before nodding off for the evening -- or maybe just leave them in the other room.
From textually.org
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
brandon @ Jan 18th 2008 12:38PM
i own a cell phone and sleep by it and still it does not wake me up
Claude Chabana @ Jan 19th 2008 6:05PM
I sparingly use the cell phone. When I go out I turn it on in case of emergency. When I see people who are constatntly on the cell, I wonder what kind of life they have, not much I guess, that they have to converse all the time.
Alex Grouet @ Jan 19th 2008 9:38PM
In terms of sleeping next to the phone in order to use it as an alarm clock, best is to set the alarm and switch the phone off. The alarm will set off when set on 99% of the phones on the market.
jon @ Jan 19th 2008 9:47PM
I think I heard something like this a few years ago..but I turn off my cell phone anyway at night because if you charge it at night, leaving it on during the charge puts extra stress on the battery, reducing its' life and ability to hold a charge.
Greg @ Jan 20th 2008 2:35AM
Are cell phones like cigs. We kind of knew in the back of our minds that they were probably dangerous but still smoked them anyways.
Freya @ Jan 21st 2008 8:43PM
I don't sleep near a cell phone (mine is downstairs on charge) and I still wake up several times a night.
William Squires @ Jan 21st 2008 8:45PM
The body produces its own microwave radiation as part of its electrical "signature" and microwave radiation, especially if one is near a high power transmitting antenna, is very disruptive to normal restorative processes during sleep, It also warms tissue just as objects in your microwave are warmed. It's pollution.
orlando @ Jan 21st 2008 9:16PM
I KEEP MY CELL PHONE NEXT TO ME JUST IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY !
kristine paula @ Jan 21st 2008 9:53PM
Cell phones are needed for communication and emergencies--I don't think sleeping next to one is disturbing my sleep! It's whats going on in this world during the day and while we're attempting to sleep!!!
Casey @ Jan 21st 2008 9:54PM
This test was not to prove that sleeping near a cell phone disrupts your sleep. Yes, if you sleep near a cell phone and it happens to ring, or your alarm goes off, it will probably wake you up. But that is not what the test was about. Cell phones emit a small amount of radiation when in use. The test done by MIT proved that excessive radiation from the frequent use of your cell phone can be disruptive to your brain's normal sleep pattern. They probably tested this by roughly splitting those 71 men and women up into two groups, one group of people who do not use a cell phone very often or at all, and the other group of people who are constantly talking on the phone. Then, they compared their sleep patterns and found that those who were on their cell phone more often did not sleep as well, and probably had a couple of jumps on the meter while they were in REM sleep. In any case, this has nothing to do with whether or not you sleep with the cell within reach; it is much more serious than that.
willy @ Jan 21st 2008 9:57PM
Cells are not the problem. Other life-style problems like over-use of credit cards and the concurrent worry about bankruptcy will bother most. Rotten sex life and imminent divorce comes in at number 2. Number 3 is easy, it's the overall fear of failure...
Maybe the underlying reason for all of the above is selfishness. Sure, I claim my share.
eddie @ Jan 21st 2008 10:19PM
I am a landscaper for a wealthy gentleman in Orange County California. He has 5 acres and a large house with several fine cars. He told me he made most of his money investing in stocks. A couple of weeks ago he told me he thought the stock market was going to suffer a big loss. He said he sold most of his stocks except one company AVASOFT (AVAF)
I have a small retirement account and took his advice with AVASOFT and have done pretty well over the past couple of weeks.
Eddie Gonzolas
Orange County, California
Erin @ Jan 21st 2008 10:21PM
oh my! I didn't realize the house was full of physicians and researchers! Amazing!
Kevin @ Jan 21st 2008 10:41PM
Yeah we needed another study to tell us that. I think those of us with cell phones already knew that.
PERRY @ Jan 21st 2008 10:44PM
I do not own a cell phone and find no NEED for one. Seems most that use one are too busy text messaging others even at work when the job states NO CELL PHONES ARE TO BE USED WHEN YOU ARE WORKING. I recently saw a young worker crouching behind a vehicle doing this and was putting her job at risk by doing so..is it worth losig a good paying job by having to text a friend about non-sense while you work..Seems it is to some sheeple that, QUOTE,"can't live without my cell phone." Well some people are blinded by corporate ads that you need a cell phone today or you are not accepted..WAKE UP AMERICA and stop making these crooked corporations richer and richer by being brainwashed and be an individual and think for yourself..but I seriously doubt this will happen.The US is a country full of brainwashed people who want to FIT-IN...NOT ME!!!!!
Melba @ Jan 21st 2008 11:23PM
The whole world has gone crazy ! Why does everybody have to have all the gadgets ? Why can't life be "simple". We don't need all the new technology ! You just don't have any idea how much better you'd feel if you "slow down & use the old black desk phone". I do !
Mary K. N. @ Jan 21st 2008 11:27PM
Most places in the world are blanketed with EM radiation, from television, radio, GPS and even pollen count broadcasts! All this artificial electromagnetic radiation CANNOT be good for the human body, and may be killing the bees and contributing to the mutation of so many species that have been reported in recent decades.
jim @ Jan 22nd 2008 12:43AM
You can tell who the older people are here. Cell phones are good for cars if you break down. But, not while driving or at work. They have voice mail for a reason.
gloree @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:49AM
unfortunately, i only have a cell, no home phone, couldn't see the point in paying for both and since i have to be accessible to my employees 24/7 in my job, i HAVE to sleep next to my phone...it is on almost always 24/7. as a previous reader commented, guess i will be replacing batteries more frequently than others, too. any advice on how to minimize the damage it may be doing to my sleep habits?
Deana @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:58AM
Years ago we did away with our home phone (land line) because of all the BS with telemarketers and since all of us within the house already had cell phones (for specific reasons) mine because of health problems an if am out an about an something happens I have access to getting help.. our children when they turned 16 would get one because if ever they were away from home an were in an accident or needed help they had an access to get that help, hubby has one because of company policy .. I've been a chronic insomniac since very early childhood (LONG before cellphones were invented) so I couldn't tell you if this test proves anything for me.. My husbands gets turned off at night and we use mine in case of family emergency an someone needs to get ahold of us.. it doesn't seem to bother my husbands sleep nor do they bother the kids who are now 19 and 23 .. We figured since our home phone only ever rang when it was a telemarketer or other BS calls we didn't need it any longer since anyone who was "important" to us, they knew how to reach us via our cell phones.. technology will only continue to grow an just like the weather ..if you don't like it, stick it out it's bound to change tomorrow.. just like this food or this vitamin or supplement is good one day an OH MY, next year all of a sudden it's the worse thing you could have eaten.. there's always going to be pro's an con's to everything.. that is just the way it is... either you'll love it or hate it, go with it or go your own direction.. any way you look at it.. there's always going to be controversy over what's good for us an what's not.. an then tomorrow it'll be vise versa .. PLAIN & SIMPLE! By, Misfitt