The last thing I do before bed is check my phone, I guess we all have been there. Whether it’s scrolling through social media, watching a video, or texting a friend, the phone ends up as our final bedtime friend. And when we’re finally done, we just place it next to our side, maybe even under the pillow. Sure, it’s not the best habit, but it’s what most of us do. Is it bad to sleep next to your phone? Well, let’s unpack that.
Is your phone really that dangerous?
You’ve probably heard the rumors that your phone’s radiation will give you brain cancer or fry your brain while you sleep. But here’s the thing: there’s no solid scientific evidence to back up these claims. Yes, phones do emit radiation in the form of radiofrequency (RF) waves, but before you panic, let’s break it down.
Your body is a pretty well-designed machine, and it has ways to deal with RF waves. Your body parts absorb these waves and convert them into heat making the radiation no harmful.
Now, before you roll your eyes and think I’m just trying to make you feel better, let me dive into the science for a moment. What actually causes cancer is ionizing radiation that is found in X-rays or radon. This type of radiation is capable of damaging DNA and potentially leading to cancer. But you know what? Cell phones emit non-ionizing radiation, which doesn’t have the power to damage your DNA. In fact, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) itself confirms that cell phone radiation doesn’t cause cancer.
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Still skeptical? Let’s talk about something you’ll see on your phone packaging: the SAR value. This stands for the Specific Absorption Rate, and it measures how much RF energy your body absorbs when using the phone. Phones are tested using dummy models of human heads and bodies filled with liquid to mimic how tissues absorb RF energy. The test measures how much energy is absorbed at the highest power level and in the worst possible scenarios.
In short: most phones meet the safety standards (1.6W/kg), which means they’re perfectly fine in terms of radiation exposure. So, next time someone warns you to keep your phone miles away from your bed, just remind them that it’s all good to keep it close.
But wait… there’s another side to the story
Alright, before you go back to sleeping with your phone under your pillow let’s flip the coin. There’s another side to the story, and it’s not about radiation. It’s about sleep quality.
While your phone might not be radioactive, it could be messing with your sleep. Ever wondered why it’s so hard to fall asleep after a Netflix binge or a few rounds of doom-scrolling through Twitter? Well, that’s because of the blue light your phone emits and the brain-stimulating content you’re consuming. Both of these things can trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, making it harder for you to fall into a restful sleep. And let’s not even get started on the noise notifications, pings, and calls that can wake you up in the middle of the night and make it tough to get back to sleep.
The bottom line
So, here’s the conclusion: no, sleeping next to your phone won’t cause a deadly disease, but it might mess with your sleep quality. Your phone’s radiation isn’t the villain here, but the blue light and midnight notifications might be.
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