Sleep after mobile phone exposure in subjects with mobile phone-related symptoms.
Lowden A, Akerstedt T, Ingre M, Wiholm C, Hillert L, Kuster N, Nilsson JP, Arnetz B. · 2011
View Original AbstractMobile phone radiation at typical use levels reduces deep sleep by 12% and delays sleep onset, disrupting critical overnight recovery processes.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 48 people to cell phone radiation for 3 hours before bedtime. The radiation reduced deep sleep by 12% and delayed its onset by nearly 5 minutes, demonstrating that phone exposure can measurably disrupt sleep quality even without users noticing.
Why This Matters
This controlled laboratory study provides compelling evidence that mobile phone radiation disrupts sleep architecture at exposure levels similar to what you experience during phone calls. The 1.4 W/kg SAR level used falls within the range of typical mobile phone emissions, making these findings directly relevant to everyday use. What makes this research particularly significant is that it was double-blind - neither researchers nor participants knew when real versus fake exposure occurred, eliminating placebo effects. The 12% reduction in restorative deep sleep is substantial and could have meaningful health implications over time, as slow-wave sleep is critical for memory consolidation, immune function, and physical recovery. The science demonstrates that your brain continues responding to RF radiation even after exposure ends, with measurable changes persisting throughout the night.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1.4 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 884 MHz
Exposure Context
This study used 1.4 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 3.5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
We investigated the effects of a double-blind radiofrequency exposure (884 MHz, GSM signaling standard including non-DTX and DTX mode, time-averaged 10 g psSAR of 1.4 W/kg) on self-evaluated sleepiness and objective EEG measures during sleep.
Forty-eight subjects (mean age 28 years) underwent 3 h of controlled exposure (7:30-10:30 PM; active...
The results demonstrated that following exposure, time in Stages 3 and 4 sleep (SWS, slow-wave sleep...
The results confirm previous findings that RF exposure increased the EEG alpha range in the sleep EEG, and indicated moderate impairment of SWS. Furthermore, reported differences in sensitivity to mobile phone use were not reflected in sleep parameters.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2011_sleep_after_mobile_phone_1163,
author = {Lowden A and Akerstedt T and Ingre M and Wiholm C and Hillert L and Kuster N and Nilsson JP and Arnetz B.},
title = {Sleep after mobile phone exposure in subjects with mobile phone-related symptoms.},
year = {2011},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20857453/},
}