Smartphone Under The Pillow: A Bad Sleep Habit

Sleeping with your phone can be hazardous to your health in several ways. The blue light emitted by smartphones can inhibit the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you tired, and disrupt your sleep cycle. This can lead to insomnia, tiredness during the day, and irritability. Additionally, the constant stimulation and engagement from your phone can keep your mind active and delay sleep, affecting your overall health. There are also potential fire and burn risks associated with sleeping with your phone, as well as concerns about the impact of electromagnetic radiation on health. While the research is still ongoing, it is recommended to limit exposure and maintain a healthy distance from your phone, especially when sleeping.

Blue light inhibits melatonin production

Blue light has a powerful effect on our sleep-wake internal body clock. Exposure to blue light stimulates our brains, boosting alertness and mental sharpness. While this is beneficial during the day, it is not helpful at night when we are trying to sleep.

Blue light is emitted by electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and televisions, as well as fluorescent and LED light bulbs. The light from these devices often appears white, but it can give off blue light wavelengths in the range of 400 to 490 nanometers.

Blue light suppresses the body's release of melatonin, a hormone that makes us feel drowsy and prepares our body for sleep. Exposure to blue light in the evening can trick our brains into thinking it is still daytime, disrupting our circadian rhythms and leaving us feeling alert instead of tired.

Research has shown that phone use within one to two hours of going to bed negatively impacts sleep, particularly in toddlers and children. Nighttime exposure to blue light can reduce the length of REM sleep, which helps with emotion and memory processing. As a result, you may feel less alert the next day and take longer to fully wake up.

To mitigate the effects of blue light on your sleep, it is recommended to limit screen time starting two to three hours before bed. You can also reduce your exposure to blue light by dimming the brightness on your devices, using blue light-blocking glasses or apps, or swapping light bulbs for those that emit less blue light, such as incandescent bulbs.

Screen time is linked to poor sleep

Secondly, the content we engage with on our phones can be psychologically stimulating, often featuring thrilling or exciting material that provokes a state of arousal and alertness. This stimulation can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep, with interactive content like video games and social media perhaps having a more pronounced effect on sleep than passive content like TV shows.

Additionally, the mere presence of phones in the bedroom can impact sleep. Alerts, notifications, and the compulsion to check our phones can provoke awakenings, fragment sleep quality, and make it difficult to fall back asleep. The simple solution of removing phones from the bedroom can help improve sleep quality and ensure we get enough rest.

Phones can catch fire

While rare, there have been instances of phones catching fire or exploding, causing physical harm and second-degree burns. The lithium-ion batteries in smartphones burn at around 600 degrees Celsius, and can easily burn through a shoe or blanket.

What to do if your phone catches fire

• Push the phone onto a concrete surface.
• Cover your face and nose and stay away from the smoke, as it is toxic.
• Douse the flames with cold water.
• Use a fire extinguisher or sufficient quantities of sand to douse the flames.

Preventing your phone from overheating

• Avoid direct sunlight: Keep your phone out of direct sunlight and in a bag or pocket when not in use.
• Keep your phone separate from other tech: Don't store your phone with other devices in a bag, as this will cause them to heat each other up.
• Reduce screen brightness: Turn off auto-brightness and reduce the brightness to a minimum.
• Avoid gaming or other demanding tasks: Limit your phone usage to essentials like calls, texts, navigation, and taking photos.
• Only charge in a cool environment: Avoid charging your phone in hot conditions, and use the official charger designed for your phone.
• Close background apps and turn off unnecessary settings: Turn off apps running in the background, Wi-Fi/mobile data, Bluetooth, and location services.

Phones can cause emotional distress

Secondly, excessive phone use can lead to reduced attention and productivity, with individuals becoming easily distracted by calls, messages, or notifications. This can impact an individual's ability to focus and be present in the moment, whether at work, school, or during social activities.

Thirdly, phones can contribute to relationship stress. Instead of engaging with loved ones during family dinners or dates, individuals may become absorbed in their phones, causing a strain on relationships.

Additionally, the blue light emitted by phone screens can disrupt sleep cycles, affecting the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes us tired. This can result in increased fatigue, reduced productivity, and higher stress levels.

Finally, the excessive use of phones, especially at night, can lead to various physical ailments, including eye strain, neck and back pain, and weight gain, all of which can contribute to overall emotional distress.

Radiation exposure

There is a lot of conflicting information about the health impacts of sleeping with your phone nearby. While there is no definitive scientific proof that cell phones cause cancer, there are some concerns about the radiation they emit.

Cell phones emit non-ionizing radiation in the form of radiofrequency radiation, or radio waves. This type of radiation has a low frequency and low energy, and is not considered harmful to DNA. The only established biological effect of this type of radiation on humans is heating in the area of the body where the phone is held, such as the ear and head. However, this heating is not enough to significantly increase core body temperature.

However, some studies have suggested that cell phones may be linked to certain types of cancer, particularly brain and central nervous system cancers, due to the proximity of the phone to the head during use. While the evidence to date does not show a clear link between cell phone use and cancer, there are still concerns about potential health risks, especially given the widespread use of cell phones.

To reduce potential exposure to radiation, it is recommended to keep your phone away from your bed while sleeping. You can put it on a table or in another room, and use a separate alarm clock instead of your phone to wake up. Keeping a buffer zone of at least arm's length between you and your phone at night can help reduce your exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Additionally, using airplane mode or turning off your phone at night can also reduce radiation emissions.

In addition to radiation concerns, the blue light emitted by smartphones can also interfere with your sleep cycle and circadian rhythm. Reducing screen time before bed and using blue light filters can help mitigate these effects.

Frequently asked questions