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February 16 2008
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Can Cell Phones Give You Insomnia?

insomnia, poor sleep, cell phone dangers, emf, rf, radio frequenciesA study suggests that using a cell phone before going to bed could cause insomnia, headaches and confusion. It can also cut your amount of deep sleep, interfering with your body‘s ability to refresh itself.

35 men and 36 women were exposed either to radiation equivalent to that received when using a cell phone, or given "sham" exposure as an experimental control. The ones who were actually exposed to radiation took longer to enter the deeper stages of sleep, and spent less time in the deepest one.

Researcher Professor Bengt Arnetz said that, "The study strongly suggests that mobile phone use is associated with specific changes in the areas of the brain responsible for activating and coordinating the stress system."

The radiation may also disrupt production of the hormone melatonin, which controls your body‘s internal rhythms.



Dr. MercolaDr. Mercola's Comments:

I’ve written more about this subject lately as I believe the cellular phone industry’s fervent denial of the hazards of information-carrying radio waves -- emitted by cell phones, base stations and Wi-Fi -- is the mirror image of where Big Tobacco was in the 1920’s. And, we all know how that story ended. If you try to claim smoking is harmless today, people will laugh you out of the building. 

I am also currently finishing my next book on this very topic and it should be published in spring or summer of 2009. 

What I have learned is that just as the ill effects of smoking, it may take a decade before the visible effects of your cell phone use becomes apparent. By then it will be too late for many of our young people who were given cell phones at an early age, and have been bombarded by information-carrying radio waves for most of their lives.

It may help, however, if you begin to take notice of some of the earlier effects, rather than wait for brain cancer to appear before you begin taking precautions to limit your exposure.       

For example, these common illnesses and ailments have all been scientifically linked to cell phone information carrying radio waves: 

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Sleep disruptions
  • Altered memory function, poor concentration and spatial awareness 
  • Alzheimer’s, senility and dementia
  • Parkinson’s
  • Autism

Why Can Your Cell Phone Ruin Your Sleep?

It’s important to understand that the danger from most land-based portable phones, cell phones and WiFi routers is NOT from the magnetic radiation or the microwave carrier wave, for which typical SAR ratings are given on phones.

This SAR rating indicates the thermal effect emitted by your phone, which is totally insignificant, unless you have massive exposures like you might expect in a microwave oven. This is why the discussion about lowering the allowable SAR is pointless, as it will NOT make cell phones safer.

Instead, nearly all your biological damage comes from the modulated signals that are carried ON the carrier microwave.

These modulated information-carrying radio waves resonate (vibrate) in the same frequencies as many of your cellular receptors; frequencies of a few to a few hundred cycles per second. These are biological frequencies and, unlike ionizing radiation (X-rays), which you can tolerate in small doses, there is NO dose of these radio waves that are safe. The cause damage at ANY dose, not matter how low.

It is an interesting concept but it is called zero threshold and that is precisely what we have with cell phones, most portable phones, and WiFi routers.

These information carrying radio waves can stimulate, or confuse your cellular receptors causing a whole cascade of pathological consequences that can culminate in fatigue, sleeplessness, anxiety, neurological decline, and ultimately cancers.

An Example of Serious Non-Thermal RF Damage  

Last year, an AT&T worker in Alaska spent two hours working on a cellular phone base station, which was accidentally left on. Once he got home a whole range of symptoms developed, from insomnia, to blood in his stool, to excruciating joint pain. 

To make a long story short, the man has set a precedent by winning a Workers’ Compensation claim for 100 percent disability due to his exposure. Granted, getting within 100 feet of a base station antenna will submit you to a much greater exposure of these information-carrying radio waves than what you experience talking on your cell phone. However, the point is that this was still a non-thermal radio wave exposure, which is claimed to be safe. 

How You Can Put Safety First 

The best way to protect yourself would be to simply not use a cell phone and revert back to a corded phone. At the very least I would urge you to not let your kids use them or severely limit their use. Their developing nervous systems and thinner skulls are simply too vulnerable to cell phone damage.  

Obviously a corded phone is not at all practical if you are in your car or out of your home so other things you can do to increase your level of safety include: 

  • Limit the amount of time you spend on a cell phone or cordless phone.

  • Use a wired headset to limit your exposure to the cell phone -- ideally, an air tube headset that conducts sound but prevents any radiation from traveling up the wire to your brain. Also make sure the wire is SHIELDED, which prevents the wire from acting as an antenna that could attract more information-carrying radio waves directly to your brain. Wireless BlueTooth headsets should be avoided. 

  • Limit your exposure to WiFi routers. Find out where they are located in your work environment and stay away from them. 

  • If you have any land based (non-cellular) portable phones, do NOT use anything other than the 900 MHz phones as the Gigahertz phones stay on continuously, blasting you with information-carrying radio waves 24/7. 

  • Use the speakerphone instead of putting the phone to your ear; this is probably one of the single most important steps you can take other than not using your cell phone. 

  • Limit calls inside buildings. 

  • Use your cell phone in open spaces as often as possible. This is because there is a concept called a resonant cavity which exists in your car or in an airplane where these radio waves actually become trapped and bounce around  inside the structure thus creating very high levels that are many times higher than would be experienced had you been outdoors.

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Community Comments ( 40 )
Comment on this Article
  
  
subirous
[ Joined on 09/07 ] [ Posted on January 26, 2008 ]
10 Points        
   
 
Novice User
Greetings everyone,
This is my first post. Have been reading Mercola's blog for sometime though. Reading the blog has been very beneficial for me. I truly appreciate the knowledge all of you so willingly share. Just thought I would comment on the 'aha' I got when I read this article. I have been experiencing a bit of insomnia lately which is unusual for me. I try to eat right, exercise fairly regularly and use mainly organically safe products. I have a handicapped brother who loves to call me on the phone. I had asked him, just recently, to wait until after 8pm to call because he goes on and on, which of course uses up my minutes. It fits, with me at least, that the late evening cell phone calls are indeed causing a problem with my sleep pattern. Guess I will have to break down and buy Mercola's ear piece after all. JoAnn
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Reesacat
[ Joined on 01/07 ]  [ Posted on January 26, 2008]
5 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Subirous, welcome to the forum!

Wishing you success on finding good solutions to help you sleep-sounds like you are on the right track.
Mercola
  
Pat Ormsby
[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on February 16, 2008]
       
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

You had the "aha!" reaction, too!  I remember my aha, about ten years ago.  I thank my lucky stars I had it then.  (I sleep wonderfully.)  Thank you for writing!  Dr. Mercola's ear piece will be a good start, ;-)

  
  
samurai
[ Joined on 04/07 ] [ Posted on January 24, 2008 ]
5 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
A good friend of mine is a director for Pepsi in Los Angeles.  She commented to me last week that she is on her cell so much, that she exhausts the batteries by 1:00p.m. .  When I told her that this is very harmful to her health, she said to me, "Oh, Tina, first you tell me that my Diet Pepsi's are going to kill me, now my cell phone???...... come on now...."  
She thinks I am off my rocker.   :)
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
shiva
[ Joined on 10/06 ]  [ Posted on January 24, 2008]
1 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
samurai - - My experience has been that most individuals will not begin to take responsibility for their health or their life until dire circumstances force them to begin to pay attention.  ........... I see that happening not only with individuals, . .. but also with the masses.
Mercola
  
Phantom O' Banjo
[ Joined on 09/06 ]  [ Posted on January 24, 2008]
7 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
You have a rocker?   You should have said poor your drink on your cell phone and you'll have a pepsi syndrome on your hands......     :)
Mercola
  
hippiegermanchick
[ Joined on 10/07 ]  [ Posted on April 3, 2008]
       
   
Novice User
  Mercola

good lord... are people still that ignorant?

  
  
mmc88121
[ Joined on 11/06 ] [ Posted on January 24, 2008 ]
4 Points        
   
 
Moderator User
We expect a source of radiation held next to our heads to not have any harmful effects?  What planet are we living on.

Mary
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Pat Ormsby
[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on February 16, 2008]
       
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

Bless your heart, Mary!

  
  
DavidRupe
[ Joined on 02/08 ] [ Posted on February 18, 2008 ]
3 Points        
   
 
Novice User

Ok, I got to tell you.  I am a computer engineer who develops systems for cell phone infrastructure.  It would be nice if the good Dr. put in some sources on his comments.  A few posts I have read now are far from factual or accurate.  It puts his general credibility in question.

There is a huge factual error in his description and the crux of his argument.  Here is the text in question:

"These modulated information-carrying radio waves resonate (vibrate) in the same frequencies as many of your cellular receptors; frequencies of a few to a few hundred cycles per second. These are biological frequencies and, unlike ionizing radiation (X-rays), which you can tolerate in small doses, there is NO dose of these radio waves that are safe. The cause damage at ANY dose, not matter how low."

The modulated signals do NOT 'resonate' at a few to a few hundred cycle per second.  Let me put that in terms some are familiar with.  A few cycles per second is 5Hz.  A few hundred is 500Hz.  A few hundred Hertz is  about the frequency of your home stereo sub woofer.  It is audible and WAY WAY to slow to carry any sort of voice data.  5 Hz is even slower and deeper.  He might as well have said that listening to music or watching a movie at home is NOT safe, at any dose!

If the good Dr. is going to give some advice and make a statement for readers who trust the accuracy, it may be best if he actually knew what he was talking about.  My advice...stay away from the technical advice.

Wonder how long this post will last...

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Sean Uisce
[ Joined on 11/06 ]  [ Posted on February 26, 2008]
       
   
Apprentice User
  Mercola

David, good observation and thanks for sharing.

I too have noticed that many good folk, in the midst of making some very good cases for/against certain things, completely lose their standing with people by making technically inaccurate statements.  Or perhaps some inconsistency in their reasoning or a gap between what they say and what they actually do.

It's true that most of the general public will not notice these things... but those who do (esp if they are looking for a way to avoid what is being presented) are often only too happy to use such things to argue that because the speaker made one mistake then all they say is not credible, trustworthy, thorough and ought not to be heeded.

For them to take such a position is of course completely illogical.  But we are so well trained into such thinking by our culture that to presume readers and listeners will ignore such faulty logic would be foolish. So it would seem wiser to avoid technicalities where we can... and where we can't to make sure we've at least had them reviewed by someone in the know.

And speaking of getting technical... see my post about the use of the word 'resonate'...

  
  
Russ Bianchi
[ Joined on 09/06 ] [ Posted on January 24, 2008 ]
3 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Cell phones are hand held slow motion microwaves aimed at the user.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Pat Ormsby
[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on February 16, 2008]
5 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

Uncle Russ, you are ignoring the masses of texters who aim it at the non-user.

Pat

  
  
jsonder
[ Joined on 12/06 ] [ Posted on February 17, 2008 ]
1 Points        
   
 
Novice User

The Bible says in Proverbs 27:12 that "the prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it"   Certainly information about the potential dangers of excessive cell phone use is gradually seeing the light of day thanks to the likes of Dr. Mecola, and anyone who dares ignore this information and puts their trust in a industry that would stand to lose billions if it told the truth to consumers is flat out a fool.  

 [ Reply ]
  
  
heykapo
[ Joined on 06/06 ] [ Posted on February 16, 2008 ]
1 Points        
   
 
Novice User

Fascinating stories. Can anybody testify to the efficacy of BioPro products? Or did I waste my money?  Does DSL pose a problem? I'm a little confused. I threw out the cell phone 2 years ago and the portable went to the dump in January. The tobacco analogy holds; I get very annoyed with the cell phone use  in airports, airplanes,  on railways, in restaurants...like smokers in past decades, they're everywhere. Thanks, all, for your contributions.

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Goldberry116
[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on February 16, 2008]
4 Points        
   
Apprentice User
  Mercola

My sister hasn't had a cell phone in about 2 years either.  I at first was surprised to learn this, because she's a P.A. and I imagine people would try to call her all the time (which may have been why she got rid of the dang thing LOL).  I am on a pay-as-you-go plan, so I only buy minutes when I need them.  My current phone is old technology -- it doesn't have a speakerphone -- but my next one (which will also be a pay-as-I-go) will have one.  If not, I'll get a BlueTube headset. :-D

As for cell phones being everywhere, I too am aggravated by this.  My adherence to libertarian principles prevents me from advocating a mandatory cell phone etiquette course for everyone who buys one, but I do think many people need a lesson or five. ;-)

  
  
bagarino
[ Joined on 01/07 ] [ Posted on February 16, 2008 ]
1 Points        
   
 
Novice User

In recent months my sleep was increasingly disturbed. Frequent waking, especially 2 a.m to 5 a.m. The I read an article about radio waves. Wi-Fi and insomnia and realised that the Wi-Fi router, located in the bedroom, was probably to blame. I now switch off the router and all cell-phones as I go to bed and some semblance of normalcy has returned to my sleep patterns. I realise that using Wi-Fi in the home is not a g