Exposure to pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field during waking affects human sleep EEG.
Huber R, Graf T, Cote KA, Wittmann L, Gallmann E, Matter D, Schuderer J, Kuster N, Borbely AA, Achermann P · 2000
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation altered sleep brainwaves for hours after just 30 minutes of exposure at typical smartphone levels.
Plain English Summary
Swiss researchers exposed healthy young men to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for 30 minutes before bedtime and monitored their brain activity during sleep. They found that the radiation exposure altered brainwave patterns during deep sleep, with specific frequency bands showing increased activity that persisted hours after the exposure ended. This demonstrates that cell phone radiation can cause measurable changes to brain function that outlast the actual exposure period.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that cell phone radiation doesn't just affect your brain while you're using the device - the effects can persist for hours afterward. The exposure level used (1 W/kg SAR) is within the range of what modern smartphones emit during calls, making these findings directly relevant to everyday cell phone use. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows biological effects occurring at exposure levels considered 'safe' by regulatory agencies. The fact that 30 minutes of exposure could alter sleep brainwaves for hours suggests our brains are more sensitive to radiofrequency radiation than current safety standards assume. This adds to a growing body of evidence that our wireless devices may be affecting our neurological function in ways we're only beginning to understand.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 1 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 30 minutes
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
The aim of the study was to investigate whether the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by digital radiotelephone handsets affects brain physiology.
Healthy, young male subjects were exposed for 30 min to EMF (900 MHz; spatial peak specific absorpti...
Compared with the control condition with sham exposure, spectral power of the EEG in non-rapid eye m...
The present results demonstrate that exposure during waking modifies the EEG during subsequent sleep. Thus the changes of brain function induced by pulsed high-frequency EMF outlast the exposure period.
Show BibTeX
@article{r_2000_exposure_to_pulsed_highfrequency_1036,
author = {Huber R and Graf T and Cote KA and Wittmann L and Gallmann E and Matter D and Schuderer J and Kuster N and Borbely AA and Achermann P},
title = {Exposure to pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field during waking affects human sleep EEG.},
year = {2000},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11059895/},
}