Sleeping next to your phone is an action some people are guilty of. Whether you tuck yours under your pillow, clutch it tight like a childhood teddy bear, or keep it on the nightstand next to your head, the question remains: is sleeping next to your phone a bad idea?

Well, unfortunately for a highly mobile generation, the answer is yes. There are some harmful body functions that could happen when you choose to use your cell phone as a cuddle buddy. Let’s discuss why sleeping next to your phone is a bad idea and, hopefully, convince you to keep it a few feet away from your cozy bed.

Does sleeping next to your phone affect your sleep cycle?

Yes, it can seriously mess up your sleep! Smartphones emit high levels of radiation which can cause disfunction or unbalance to your biological clock. In this way, sleeping next to your phone could actually lead to more nightmares because your cardiac rhythm could be thrown for a loop. Sleeping next to your phone can also contribute to restlessness and frequently waking up throughout the night.

What could happen if I keep my phone in my bed?

1. That blue light that emanates from your phone’s screen can actually delay the release of melatonin and set your internal clock to a later schedule. It can also lead to losing REM sleep and leave you waking up groggy, even if you did get a good few hours. Not to mention having to fight the urge to check your phone for one more Tinder match before going to sleep. When your phone is so close to you, the urge to tap, scroll, and swipe is that much greater.
2. Headaches, muscle pains, and other complicated health issues can stem from the cell phone’s radiation. Most smartphones emit a transmission signal around 900MHz, which doesn’t need to be closeby you at all times.
3. As confirmed by the World Health Organization, electronic devices at large produce toxic effects that can increase a person’s chances of getting cancer! WHO limited phone’s health risk to two types of tutors, and labeled it as “inadequate” for other forms of cancer. While cell phones do give off a small amount of electromagnetic radiation, there’s no definitive research that shows phone usage leads to cancer.
4. A fire could, potentially, start. Not saying this is super likely, but we can’t forget that there have been cases of phones blowing up or lighting on fire in the middle of the night. In 2014, a Texan teen woke up to a burning smell coming from her scorching device left under her pillow. And in 2016, the NYPD even asked people not to leave their phones under their pillows at night after another woman’s phone overheated while she slept.

How can I prevent my cell phone from disturbing my sleep?

Simply,

• Keep your cell phone at least 3 feet away from your bed to limit radio frequency exposure
• Turn your cell phone off before you go to bed (if you don’t rely on your phone’s alarm clock)
• Turn your phone on Airplane Mode

Knowing this information now, take every precaution you can as a cell phone user and please have a cell-less sleep tonight.