Is it bad to leave your phone next to you while you sleep?

Some people sleep with their phone next to them for various reasons. Some people use the clock on their phone as a timepiece and a security blanket. Some people might use calming apps before they go to bed. But the question is, is it okay?

According to The Washington Post, cell phones are killing us. They are slowly making us deaf to the outside world. It’s sad but true. It states that people have been sleeping next to their cell phones for over a decade, and now there is a big issue with it.

There are many reasons why you shouldn’t sleep with your cell phone. One reason is because the radiation from the device can disrupt your sleep cycle. The radiation from the device hits your brainwaves which then affect how you can sleep.

Why you should not sleep next to your cell phone

1. Radiation

According to the National Toxicology Program, radiation from cell phones can affect your body in many different ways. There are two types of radiation that can affect your body. One type is known as non-ionizing radiation which means the radiation is not strong enough to damage DNA directly. The other type is ionizing radiation which means it does have the ability to damage DNA directly. With both of these types, there are ways that this could affect your body long term and short term. The first way that this can happen is acute exposure, or short-term exposure to this type of radiation will lead to headaches, nausea, fatigue and other symptoms. These types of symptoms will go away once you stop using your cell phone.

2. Brain function

Cell phones have been linked to a worsening of cognitive declines. The type of radiation that is emitted from the device has been shown to affect the functioning of the brain. According to a study, sleeping with your cell phone next to you can cause a disruption in your sleep cycle where you will have trouble falling asleep and stay asleep.

3. Social life

People who sleep with their cell phone next to them often have trouble being social because they don’t want other people seeing their phones during a conversation. It makes it sort of awkward too because they might trip over their own phone while trying to be social.

4. Ear exposure

The cell phone is being held next to your ear when it is turned on. The radiation from the phone can reach all the way to your brain and even through your skull and cause acute exposure which causes a headache. This exposure can also have a long term health effect where you will have trouble concentrating and remembering things that you recently said. So, if you sleep with your cell phone next to you, remember that a secondary exposure can affect your brain function and mental state for a longer period.

5. Social anxiety

You might feel anxious when others see your phone in working order when they come to visit or when they come over to visit or call for an emergency situation. This is because you might feel like you are not good enough for others to even talk to you long enough if they see your phone screen lit up or if they hear it ringing.

How to stop sleeping with your cellphone

1. Use a phone stand

If you want to try and wean yourself off of using your cell phone at night, try using a phone stand where you can put your phone in and then set it to do not disturb. This way, when someone does call or text you, the screen will go dark and it will be in sleep mode so that way you can fall asleep faster without any worries.

2. Replace the clock on your cell phone with a real one

If you still feel like turning off your cell phone in order to get to sleep, replace the clock on your cell phone with a real one. Put the phone far from you so you can’t see it. This way, you will know what time it is without having to turn on the light and look at your cell phone. You can just look at a real clock that is on a wall or right next to your bed.

3. Put the phone away

When going to sleep, just put your cell phone away. Put it somewhere where you won’t hurt yourself looking for the phone in the middle of the night or during a stressful moment. You might even want to put the phone under your pillow if it’s not distracting you. Just make sure to take out your phone before you wake up in the morning.

Research shows that having an alarm clock on your cell phone is better than having an alarm clock that is separate from your phone. You can request for a separate alarm clock to go on top of your cell phone because every time you turn on the screen, there is another risk of disturbing sleep. Putting alarms away from you so that way if it rings, you won’t have to worry about turning it off first.

4. Do not use your phone as a security blanket

This is to wind down before you go to bed. It is a great distraction from the real world, which you just want to escape from, and its constant nearness demands that you pay attention. If you can manage without it for a few hours, then that would be even better.

5. Keeping the phone on

If you really can’t handle putting down your phone, but it is keeping you up, try the airplane mode. On your iPhone, swipe up to open Control Center and tap on airplane mode to keep it from getting notifications or calls that can disrupt your sleep. The phone will still receive and place emergency calls.

Can you get cancer from sleeping next to your phone?

There is limited information to show that sleeping with your phone is dangerous, but there are some concerns about long-term exposure. If you are pregnant, doing the above steps to stop sleeping with your cell phone would be a good idea. There aren’t any studies that show that this is true because of the possibility that you can get cancer from cell phones even if you are trying to stop using it.

Is it bad to sleep with your cell phone under your pillow?

Yes, it is best to keep your phone 3 feet away from you. This is the same principle as keeping your phone in your purse (or carrying it around with you). If you’re in a public place, like a restaurant or store, put your cell phone away in your pocket. It could be that bad for you if you are in constant contact with it.

How far away should your phone be from your face?

20-28 inches from the face (or more), and 6 inches below eye level is the recommended distance that a cell phone should be from your face.

How bad is cell phone radiation?

The average person’s exposure to radiation by having their phones next to them in bed is much higher than the FCC standards, which are classified as “inadequate”. The FCC standards are not much higher than what you would be exposed to in a year if you never use your phone at night.

Cellphone emit low levels of radiofrequency radiation, and the National Cancer Institute say that, "there is currently no consistent evidence that non-ionizing radiation increases cancer risk in humans"

But they said the same thing about cigarettes!

How far does radiation from a cell phone travel?

12" away from your eyes and face.

The FCC limits on exposure to radiation are actually more of a concern than the radiation itself because of the potential for exposure to children. The FCC’s exposure limits are based on linear measurement of distance from the phone, not the actual amount of radiation that gets into that space. These standards are set even further below what is considered “safe” levels for residential use.

How do I block cell phone radiation?

Radiation shields DO NOT WORK!

If you put a radiation shield on your cell phone, you might as well just sleep with the cell phone in your hand because it’s still emitting harmful levels of radiation. Radiation shields are scams.

What is the healthiest way to sleep?

Flat on your back with your head in a neutral position, with your spine in its natural alignment. This way, your body isn’t in any unnatural positions while you are sleeping. You can also sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees.

Having the cellphone 3 feet away from the body while asleep is the safest way to get a good night’s sleep.

What if you can’t get away from your phone?

If you absolutely need to use your cell phone while you are sleeping, then cover it up with a cloth or something that will shield your head from the radiation. If you don’t have something to cover it, turn off the ringer and keep it on airplane mode so that way no one can call or text you and wake you up in the middle of the night.

How many hours should you spend on your phone a day?

Less than 2 hours per day.

Conclusion

Are you currently sleeping with your cell phone? Are you curious about the negative effects it is having on your health? If so, make sure to stop sleeping with your phone, turn off notifications for work and let the device do the work for you. Reading this book should be enough to help you make a decision about what is best for your health.

We want our information to be helpful. We want people to be able to take action and make changes in their life for the better. We are all about helping people become better informed, educated and happier individuals.