Wireless technologies offer convenience and connectivity, from smartphones and WiFi to smart devices and wearables. However, the invisible radiation they emit—called electromagnetic fields (EMFs)—poses potential health risks that are often overlooked.
Chronic exposure to wireless radiation in our homes can interfere with our body’s ability to heal and recharge during sleep. This raises serious concerns about the long-term effects of wireless technology on health.
Addressing these risks starts with awareness and small, actionable changes to reduce exposure, especially in spaces dedicated to rest and recovery. Together, let’s look into wireless effects on health.
Understanding the Health Risks of Wireless Technology Exposure
Let me ask you a question. Do you smoke in bed at night?
I’m assuming you answered no. However, what if I told you that sleeping with your cell phone next to you at night could be just as harmful as smoking?
It may seem odd to consider if you’ve not thought about this before. You can’t smell, see, or hear what the cell phone emits, so nothing is happening, right? Something is going on. In the words of Lionel Richie, it’s happening all night long all night…
Imagine you are working in a 1960s Mad Men-type office that is filled with smoke every day. After a long, stressful day, you walk through the front door into a home and smoke-filled bedroom. Your body doesn’t have a break to heal and regenerate during sleep because of the constant exposure to the smoke. This is our reality.
However, instead of smoke, it’s the radiation from cell phones and towers, WIFI, Bluetooth, smart meters, and other smart devices. The Marlborough Man has been swapped for the guy on the Verizon commercial. Can you hear me now?
Bottom line, it’s time to rethink the radiation consequences of wireless technology, especially in the bedroom.
Scientific Insights on the Wireless Effects on Health
According to the 2012 Bioinitiative Report, a collection of global scientific studies, chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation raises significant health concerns. Between 2007 and 2012, the report noted that “1,800 new studies have been published…reporting effects at exposure levels ten to hundreds or thousands of times lower than allowed under safety limits in most countries of the world.” This highlights the need for public health, policy, and global responses to address these findings.
The studies cited in this report outline the following diseases and health conditions that result from exposure to cell towers, WIFI, laptops, and smart meters in almost every home.
- Stress Proteins
- Disrupted Immune Function
- Infertility/Reproductive Issues (Male and Female)
- Oxidative Damage
- DNA Damage/DNA Repair Failure
- Disrupted Calcium Metabolism
- Brain Tumors
- Disruption of the Blood-Brain Barrier
- Sleep Issues
- Impact on Neuron Firing Rate
- Impact on EEG
- Memory Function
- Impact on Learning
- Behavioral Issues
- Cancer
- Cell proliferation
- Cardiac health
- Impact on the heart muscle
- Blood pressure issues
- Vascular effects.
This report was last updated in 2014. We can assume that over the last 11 years, the data has continued to grow.
My Awakening: Reducing the Health Impact of Wireless Radiation
I, too, slept with my cell phone on my bedside table for years. It was my flashlight, alarm clock, and my “insomnia entertainment device.” I simply did not know or understand that it was sending non-stop radiation into the room – and into me! More importantly, I did not realize how this radiation was impacting my body’s ability to heal and sleep deeper at night.
The Building Biology Institute recommends bedroom exposure levels to high-frequency radiation (cell phones, WIFI, Bluetooth, smart meters, etc.) to be in the slight-to-no concern ranges of less than 10 uW/m2.
When I measured my iPhone X with a Safe and Sound Pro II meter, I captured a max level of 448,000 W/m2. That is 44,800 times higher than Building Biology’s slight-to-no concern levels for bedrooms!
I no longer use WiFi in my home. If WiFi had been active during this measurement, my exposure levels would likely have been significantly higher.
To put this into perspective, a study from the Bioinitiative Report revealed that exposure as low as 10 uW/m² caused changes in genes and DNA damage. This is an alarmingly low level, especially compared to the exposure measured from my phone. It is also far below the levels that the tech industry has deemed safe.
If so, why aren’t we getting sick? Well, many people are and may not have made the connection that the constant exposure to radiation in the environment could be a contributing factor.
We heal when we sleep. It is important to create an organic, reduced-radiation sleeping environment to give our bodies a break so they can do what they need to do.
Even cigarettes used to be promoted as harmless and “en vogue.” A fantastic example is this television ad from 1949. Wow! We may look back on some of our tech advertisements the same way 50 years from now.
Creating a Healthier Bedroom: Minimizing Wireless Effects
As it turns out, I don’t need my cell phone in my bedroom, even for emergencies.
Don’t worry; as much as I’d love everyone to slow down on tech adoption, I’m not asking you to give up your cell phone entirely.
A few simple adjustments can significantly lower your nighttime exposure to radiation. These changes target the emissions from technology in your home. My advice? Go “old-school”.
Install a landline telephone and forward your calls at night. You may already have a landline in your home. *72 will forward your calls to your home number, and your callers won’t know the difference. Adding one will increase your monthly budget if you don’t already pay for a landline. The reduced radiation exposure and ability to stay reachable in emergencies make the cost worthwhile.
Most homes already have telephone wiring installed. Internet providers also offer phone service through a modem via the internet. That’s why adding an unlisted number is a simple, low-cost add-on. Another tip is to choose a wired phone because (believe it or not) cordless DECT phones also emit high radiation levels.
If you want to tie a bow on the old-school package, purchase a small, battery-powered alarm clock and keep a flashlight by the bed. Here are the products I use at home (phone, clock).
If you still choose to keep a cell phone in the bedroom, make sure to put it in complete airplane mode at night. Double-check to make sure that cellular, WIFI, and Bluetooth functions are all completely off. When all 3 functions are on, exposure levels increase.
As a side note, turning off WiFi and Bluetooth on your phone, tablet, and laptop is a good idea when not in use. This simple step helps reduce radiation exposure.
There are other options if you’re uncomfortable using airplane mode due to not having a landline. At a minimum, turn off WiFi and Bluetooth, increase the ringer volume, and keep the phone as far from your body as possible while still being able to hear it.
Taking Extra Steps: Further Reducing Wireless Exposure in Your Home
If you want to go the extra mile, turn off your WIFI router at night. If your router doesn’t have a dedicated WIFI on/off switch, plugging it into a timer to shut off at bedtime and restart in the morning is an easy, low-cost solution. If you keep your router in your bedroom, relocate it if possible. If it cannot be moved, definitely shut it off at night.
Remove all technology from the bedroom for the ultimate fix.
I often joke that WIFI is like sugar; they put that $#!+ in everything! Even though we may think WIFI is off, many smart devices still emit a signal. This includes things like televisions, Apple TVs, Sonos, and wearables.
The technology we use daily is increasing at an unprecedented rate, increasing radiation levels in the home and bedroom. Creating a sleep sanctuary with natural and organic materials, along with proper EMF reduction, can significantly lower your exposure levels at night. This helps you achieve the deep, healing, and restorative sleep your body needs and craves. If you are interested in learning more about creating a sleep sanctuary in your home, feel free to contact me HERE.
Sweet dreams!
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BIOGRAPHY
Angie Nicolucci is the owner of Uplifting Spaces. She is a Certified Sleep Science Coach, Spiritual Psychologist, and a Building Biology Environmental Consultant and Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist-in-training with the Building Biology Institute. She can be reached at angie@upliftingspaces.com, or through her website www.upliftingspaces.com.