Is It Bad to Sleep With Your Phone Charging Next to You?

As we live in highly technologically advanced times where we go with our phones everywhere, including beds, many people have raised many concerns. For example, is it bad to sleep with your phone charging next to you or not?

If you are unaware of the constant radiation our phones expose us to, keep reading this article until the end to learn everything you need to know regarding this topic of today. So, let’s begin and find out more!

Is It Bad to Sleep With Your Phone Charging Next to You
Source: Pcmag.com

Is It Bad to Sleep With Your Phone Charging Next to You?

If you have the habit of tucking your phone every night right next to you in bed, especially while it is charging and wondering about the radiation, you are not the only one.

With the increased use of cell phones all around the globe, they become practically glued to our hands 24/7. So, is it bad to sleep with your phone charging next to you? Before diving further into this, you must know the answer is yes.

However, maybe the worst out of everything is when people go to sleep with their phones charging next to them. 

As doing that can be a potential fire and health hazard, in continuation of this article, you can read about why you must not sleep with your phone charging next to you and how to stay safe from the potential consequences of doing this.

Phone and radiation

Namely, as you probably already know, cell phones are known for radiating radio waves, which are non-ionizing radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum.

So, even if you are not charging your phone, keeping it close to you, or even worse, close to your head while sleeping, you would be exposing yourself to continuous radio wave radiation. This radiation might later lead to more severe health damage.

Additionally, combining this radiation with your phone’s charging gives you the ultimate recipe for disaster waiting to happen. This is because you risk your health and safety by causing a potential fire hazard from the unattended cell phone charging.

Charging phone: a potential fire hazard

The primary reason you must not sleep with your phone charging next to you is because of this combination’s potential fire hazard. 

To be more specific, charging your phone and, at the same time, putting it between your blankets, under your pillow, or even on a shelf next to your bed can represent a great danger because the phone might overheat, causing the battery to overheat, and eventually explode.

The battery exploding will most certainly start a fire near your head or in your bed, which, I am sure, is not something you want. Leaving your phone to charge unattended overnight is one of the biggest fire hazards in a household in general.

So, if you want to avoid this and keep yourself and your closest ones safe, only charge your phone while you are awake and not using it because if the battery overheats, it might explode in your hands.

Sleeping cycle

Another reason why it is bad to sleep with your phone charging is that doing this can adversely affect your sleeping cycle.

More specifically, by having your phone charging next to you and because of the high levels of radiation that smartphones emit, they can cause disbalance or dysfunction of your biological clock. 

These high radiation levels can also throw your circadian rhythm out of balance and contribute to insomnia, frequent waking up during the night, and even restlessness. Now, let’s see about wireless charging and its radiation.

Wireless Charging and Sleeping Next to Your Phone

Namely, unlike regular charging with a wire, wireless chargers are known to produce radiation during the charging process. 

This happens because when you charge your phone with a wireless charger, there is a process known as electromagnetic induction. This process happens by transmitting electric currents through magnets, creating a magnetic field.

As wireless charging transmits electricity through the air, that is not something you want happening close to your body while sleeping.

How much radiation can a wireless charger emit?

Now that you know another reason why it is bad to sleep with your phone charging next to you, especially wireless charging, I would like to briefly pay attention to the amount of radiation a wireless charger can emit.

According to a few research papers from the EMF academy, wireless chargers emit 0 mG (Milligauss) of EMF radiation when not charging. 

On the contrary, while charging a smartphone, these wireless chargers can emit around 3 mG (Milligauss) of EMF radiation.

With this information in mind, and with the fact that 1 mG of EMF is considered unsafe for human health and body, you can do your math and see the level of EMF radiation you might be exposed to if you leave your phone to charge wirelessly near you over the entire night. Now, we should look at some of the potential risks to your health!

Wireless Charging and Sleeping Next to Your Phone
Source: Onepointech.com

Potential Effects on Your Health

Melatonin changes

As you probably already know, smartphones emit blue light. This blue light is proven to impact melatonin release, specifically delaying its release. Doing this might change your internal clock and disturb your sleep, including the REM and non-REM phases.

Increased risk of cancer

According to the World Health Organization, exposure to harmful cell phone radiation might increase cancer risk in younger adults, especially while you sleep and your body regenerates.

Headaches and muscle spasms

Finally, having your phone charging next to you overnight might cause you to experience severe headaches, muscle spasms, irritability, etc.

Conclusion

This is the very end of this article. So, is it bad to sleep with your phone charging next to you? Well, now you know the answer, and that is an absolute yes. So, protect yourself as much as you can.

Photo of author

Scott Freeman

Scott Freeman is a seasoned expert in EMF protection with over 10 years of experience in the field. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's in Environmental Science, Scott possesses a unique blend of technical and environmental knowledge. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to researching, developing, and promoting effective EMF protection products that prioritize both safety and efficiency. Scott's passion for helping others make informed decisions has made him a sought-after speaker and writer on the subject of electromagnetic field safety.

Leave a Comment