Mobiles 'disrupt sleep'
Mobile phone use before bed could increase the time it takes to fall asleep, study says
Monday, 21, Jan 2008 04:52
Making a call on a mobile phone late at night could increase the time it takes for a person to fall asleep, new research has found.
The study, funded by mobile phone companies, also linked radiation from mobile phone use to headaches and confusion.
Scientists at Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Wayne State University in the US made the discovery after studying 35 men and 36 women aged between 18 and 45.
Some were exposed to radiation similar to what is received when using mobile phones while the others were placed in the same conditions but given 'sham' exposure, where they received no radiation.
Those who were exposed to radiation took longer to enter the first stages of deep sleep and spent less time in the deepest stage.
"The study indicates that during laboratory exposure to 884 MHz wireless signals, components of sleep believed to be important for recovery from daily wear-and-tear are adversely affected," the researchers conclude.
The Mobile Manufacturers Forum, who funded the study, said the results were inconclusive and the scientists did not claim handsets caused sleep disturbance.
But lead researcher Professor Bengt Arnetz said: "We did find an effect from mobile phones from exposure scenarios that were realistic. This suggests that they have measurable effects on the brain."
Last year the UK's largest investigation into mobile phone use found no link between short-term use and negative health effects.