Pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field affects human sleep and sleep electroencephalogram.
Borbely, AA, Huber, R, Graf, T, Fuchs, B, Gallmann, E, Achermann, P · 1999
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation at safety limits directly alters brain wave patterns during sleep, proving EMF can influence neurological function.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed healthy adults to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) during sleep using 15-minute cycles. The radiation reduced nighttime awakenings and changed brain wave patterns during deep sleep, showing that phone signals can directly affect brain function even at supposedly safe levels.
Why This Matters
This study from the University of Zurich provides compelling evidence that radiofrequency EMF directly affects brain function, even during sleep when we might assume our brains are less vulnerable. The 1 W/kg exposure level used here is at the current safety limit for cell phones, meaning millions of people experience similar exposures daily. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates measurable neurological changes from EMF exposure that subjects couldn't consciously detect. While the study found EMF seemed to promote sleep, the altered brain wave patterns raise important questions about whether this represents natural, healthy sleep or an artificially induced state. The reality is that any technology capable of modifying our brain's electrical activity during sleep deserves serious consideration, regardless of whether the immediate effects seem positive or negative.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- Alternating 15-min on-15-min off intervals
Exposure Context
This study used 1 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 2.5x 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
To investigate whether the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by digital radiotelephone handsets affects the brain.
Healthy, young subjects were exposed during an entire night-time sleep episode to an intermittent ra...
Compared with a control night with sham exposure, the amount of waking after sleep onset was reduced...
The results demonstrate that pulsed high-frequency EMF in the range of radiotelephones may promote sleep and modify the sleep EEG.
Show BibTeX
@article{borbely_1999_pulsed_highfrequency_electromagnetic_field_869,
author = {Borbely and AA and Huber and R and Graf and T and Fuchs and B and Gallmann and E and Achermann and P},
title = {Pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field affects human sleep and sleep electroencephalogram.},
year = {1999},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10580711/},
}