Browse 3,138 peer-reviewed studies on electromagnetic field health effects from the BioInitiative Report database.
Showing 167 studies in Sleep & Circadian Rhythm
Lundberg L, Sienkiewicz Z, Anthony DC, Broom KA. · 2019
Researchers exposed mice to magnetic fields from power lines during sleep to test effects on their internal body clocks. The magnetic fields caused only minor changes in movement, while light exposure significantly disrupted sleep hormones. Power line magnetic fields don't appear to disrupt circadian rhythms.
Kazemi M et al. · 2018
Researchers exposed four male rhesus monkeys to 12 Hz magnetic fields for four hours daily over 30 days. The monkeys showed significantly improved visual working memory and increased brain chemicals linked to learning. This suggests certain EMF frequencies might enhance cognitive function.
Zhang J, Sumich A, Wang GY. · 2017
Researchers reviewed recent brain imaging and brain wave studies to examine whether mobile phone radiation affects brain function. They found that phone radiation appears to increase brain activity and efficiency, particularly in areas near where you hold the phone, and this increased activity was linked to faster reaction times and sleep disruption. The findings suggest the scientific question of mobile phone effects on the brain should be reopened, though the researchers note that long-term effects remain largely unstudied.
Martens AL et al. · 2017
Dutch researchers tracked nearly 15,000 adults over three years to compare actual radiofrequency radiation exposure from cell towers (measured with precise modeling) versus people's perception of their exposure. They found that while actual exposure levels weren't linked to health symptoms, people who believed they were more exposed reported significantly more sleep problems and nonspecific symptoms like headaches and fatigue.
Durusoy R, Hassoy H, Özkurt A, Karababa AO. · 2017
Turkish researchers surveyed 2,150 high school students about their mobile phone use and measured electromagnetic field levels in their schools. Students who used mobile phones were 90% more likely to experience headaches, 78% more likely to report fatigue, and 53% more likely to have sleep problems compared to non-users. The study found clear dose-response relationships, meaning heavier phone use correlated with more frequent symptoms.
Sun Y, Zong L, Gao Z, Zhu S, Tong J, Cao Y · 2017
Researchers exposed human blood cells to 900MHz radiofrequency radiation (the same frequency used in many cell phones) for 4 hours daily over 5 days. The radiation caused significant damage to mitochondrial DNA (the genetic material in cellular powerhouses) and increased harmful free radicals, while reducing the cells' ability to produce energy. Importantly, treating the cells with melatonin, a natural antioxidant, prevented this damage.
Ayoobi F, Shamsizadeh A, Shafiei SA. · 2017
Researchers exposed 65 young adults to magnetic fields similar to power lines for three minutes. Participants showed slower reaction times after exposure compared to fake treatment, while sleepiness levels remained unchanged. This demonstrates that brief magnetic field exposure can impair cognitive performance and brain function.
Andrianome S et al. · 2016
Researchers compared melatonin levels (a hormone that regulates sleep) between 30 people who report electromagnetic sensitivity and 25 people who don't, without exposing either group to EMF sources. While the sensitive group scored significantly worse on sleep quality questionnaires, both groups had identical melatonin levels in their saliva and urine. This suggests that whatever is causing sleep problems in electromagnetically sensitive individuals, it's not affecting their body's natural melatonin production.
Singh K et al. · 2016
Researchers in India studied 40 people living either near cell phone towers or about 1 kilometer away to see how proximity affected their health and saliva production. They found that people living close to the towers reported significantly more sleep problems, headaches, dizziness, and concentration difficulties, and produced less saliva when stimulated. This suggests that chronic exposure to radiofrequency radiation from cell towers may affect both general health and specific bodily functions like saliva production.
Erdem Koç G et al. · 2016
Pregnant rats exposed to cell phone-level radiation (900 MHz) for one hour daily produced offspring with fewer brain cells in the hippocampus, the memory center. However, melatonin and omega-3 supplements during pregnancy prevented this brain damage in the developing babies.
Erdem Koç G et al. · 2016
Pregnant rats exposed to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for one hour daily had offspring with fewer brain cells in the hippocampus, the memory center. Melatonin and omega-3 supplements during pregnancy prevented this brain damage, suggesting potential protective strategies for human prenatal development.
Schoeni A, Roser K, Röösli M. · 2015
Researchers studied 439 Swiss adolescents to see how nighttime mobile phone interruptions affect their health and thinking abilities. They found that teens awakened by phones at least once monthly were 86% more likely to experience daytime tiredness and over twice as likely to feel rapidly exhausted. However, the interruptions didn't impair memory or concentration on cognitive tests, suggesting the main impact is on energy levels rather than mental performance.
Lustenberger et al. · 2015
Swiss researchers exposed 20 young men to cell phone-level radiation (900 MHz at 2 watts per kilogram) for 30 minutes before sleep on two separate nights, then monitored their brain activity throughout the night using EEG. While they found some increases in certain brain wave patterns during deep sleep, these effects were inconsistent - they didn't reliably occur in the same individuals across both exposure sessions. This suggests that if cell phone radiation affects sleep brain activity, the response varies unpredictably between people and even within the same person on different nights.
Singh S, Mani KV, Kapoor N. · 2015
Researchers studied 155 military personnel exposed to radar frequencies of 8-12 GHz and 12.5-18 GHz to measure how electromagnetic fields affect melatonin (the sleep hormone) and serotonin (a mood chemical) in their blood. Workers exposed to the higher frequency range (12.5-18 GHz) showed significantly lower melatonin levels and higher serotonin levels, especially those with more than 10 years of exposure. This suggests that long-term exposure to certain radar frequencies can disrupt the body's natural hormone balance.
Exelmans L, Van den Bulck J. · 2015
Researchers surveyed 844 adults in Belgium about their mobile phone use at bedtime and sleep quality. They found that people who sent texts or made calls after turning off the lights had worse sleep quality, took longer to fall asleep, and experienced more daytime fatigue. The effects were strongest in younger adults, while older adults showed different patterns including earlier wake times and shorter sleep duration.
Danker-Hopfe H et al. · 2015
German researchers exposed 30 young men to cell phone radiation from GSM 900MHz and WCDMA/UMTS devices while monitoring their sleep with medical-grade equipment. They found that 90% of participants showed measurable changes in their sleep patterns, with the most consistent effect being increased REM sleep in about one-third of the subjects. The study suggests that cell phone radiation can affect individual sleep quality, though the changes varied greatly between people.
Djordjevic B et al. · 2015
Serbian researchers exposed rats to 900 MHz microwave radiation (similar to cell phone frequencies) for 4 hours daily over 20-60 days and found significant liver damage, including increased oxidative stress and cellular damage markers. When rats were also given melatonin supplements, the treatment partially protected against some of the radiation-induced liver damage. This suggests that microwave radiation can harm liver function, but natural antioxidants like melatonin may offer some protection.
Cao H, Qin F, Liu X, Wang J, Cao Y, Tong J, Zhao H. · 2015
Researchers exposed rats to cell phone-level radiation for 2 hours daily over 32 days. The radiation disrupted natural 24-hour cycles of antioxidant production, with nighttime exposures causing the biggest drops in protective compounds like melatonin. This suggests RF radiation may interfere with the body's internal clock.
Djordjevic B et al. · 2015
Researchers exposed rats to cell phone-frequency radiation (900 MHz) for 4 hours daily and found significant liver damage after 20-60 days, including increased oxidative stress and cellular damage. Melatonin supplements provided only partial protection, suggesting microwave radiation harms liver tissue through multiple pathways.
Cao H, Qin F, Liu X, Wang J, Cao Y, Tong J, Zhao H · 2015
Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation (1.8 GHz) for two hours daily over 32 days. The radiation disrupted natural daily rhythms of protective antioxidants in blood, with the largest decreases occurring during nighttime exposure, suggesting interference with the body's 24-hour protective cycles.
Lustenberger et al. · 2015
Researchers exposed 20 young men to cell phone-level radiation (900 MHz) for 30 minutes before sleep on two separate occasions, then monitored their brain waves throughout the night. They found that RF exposure increased delta-theta brain wave activity in the frontal-central regions during deep sleep, but these effects varied significantly between individuals and weren't consistent when the same person was tested twice.
Danker-Hopfe H et al. · 2015
Researchers exposed 30 healthy men to cell phone radiation during sleep and found 90% showed altered sleep patterns. The most consistent change was increased REM (dream) sleep in one-third of participants, suggesting cell phone signals can affect brain activity during sleep.
Murbach et al. · 2014
Researchers investigated why radiofrequency radiation from cell phones appears to affect brain activity patterns (EEG) during sleep studies. They tested three possible explanations using computer models and found that RF exposure doesn't significantly heat the brain or interfere with electrode measurements. While the study ruled out these technical artifacts, the actual mechanism behind RF's effects on brain activity remains unexplained.
Adachi-Mejia AM et al. · 2014
Researchers surveyed 454 adolescents aged 12-20 to understand how mobile phone use affects sleep patterns. They found that nearly two-thirds (62.9%) bring phones to bed, over one-third (36.7%) text after bedtime, and 7.9% are awakened by texts at least twice weekly. This suggests that mobile phones are significantly disrupting adolescent sleep through both direct use and unexpected interruptions.
Monazzam MR et al. · 2014
Researchers studied 40 workers at an Iranian petrochemical plant to see if extremely low frequency magnetic fields from electrical substations affected their sleep and general health. They found that 61% of workers exposed to these fields had sleep disorders and 28% had poor health, compared to only 4.5% sleep problems in unexposed workers. Even though the magnetic field levels were below safety standards, the exposed workers showed significantly worse sleep quality and health outcomes.