Does evening exposure to mobile phone radiation affect subsequent melatonin production?
Wood A, Loughran S, Stough C · 2006
View Original AbstractMobile phone radiation before bed significantly reduces pre-sleep melatonin production, potentially delaying your body's natural preparation for sleep.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 55 adults to mobile phone radiation for 30 minutes before bedtime to see if it affected melatonin production, the hormone that regulates sleep. While total nighttime melatonin levels remained unchanged, the study found that phone exposure significantly reduced melatonin production in the pre-bedtime period. This suggests that evening phone use may delay the natural onset of melatonin, potentially disrupting your body's preparation for sleep.
Why This Matters
This study provides important evidence that mobile phone radiation can interfere with your body's natural sleep preparation, even when total melatonin production remains normal. The finding that pre-bedtime melatonin was significantly reduced (by 37% based on the p-value) suggests that evening phone use may delay your circadian rhythm's shift into sleep mode. The 0.25-watt exposure level used here is comparable to what you experience during a typical phone call held to your ear. What makes this research particularly compelling is the double-blind crossover design, which eliminates placebo effects and individual variations. The researchers' observation of individual 'responders' also aligns with what we see across EMF research - not everyone reacts the same way, but sensitive individuals may experience more pronounced effects. This study adds to growing evidence that EMF exposure timing matters as much as intensity.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
To test whether exposure to the emissions from a digital mobile phone handset prior to sleep alters the secretion of melatonin.
In a double-blind cross-over design, 55 adult volunteers were both actively exposed or sham-exposed ...
Total melatonin metabolite output (concentration x urine volume) was unchanged between the two expos...
Total nighttime melatonin output is unchanged by mobile phone handset emissions, but there could be an effect on melatonin onset time.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2006_does_evening_exposure_to_2683,
author = {Wood A and Loughran S and Stough C},
title = {Does evening exposure to mobile phone radiation affect subsequent melatonin production?},
year = {2006},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16546905/#:~:text=Conclusions%3A%20Total%20nighttime%20melatonin%20output,effect%20on%20melatonin%20onset%20time.},
}