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Mobiles linked to disturbed sleep

2008-01-21 11:02:32

Using a mobile phone before going to bed could stop you getting a decent

night's sleep, research suggests.

The study, funded by mobile phone companies, suggests radiation from the

handset can cause insomnia, headaches and confusion.

It may also cut our amount of deep sleep - interfering with the body's ability

to refresh itself.

The study was carried out by Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Wayne State

University in the US.

This research suggests that if you need to make a make a phone call in the

evening it is much better to use a land line

Alasdair Philips

Powerwatch

Funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Forum, the scientists studied 35 men and 36

women aged between 18 and 45.

Some were exposed to radiation equivalent to that received when using a mobile

phone, others were placed in the same conditions, but given only "sham"

exposure.

Those exposed to radiation took longer to enter the first of the deeper stages

of sleep, and spent less time in the deepest one.

The scientists concluded: "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 suggestion is that radiation disrupts production of the hormone melatonin,

which controls the body's internal rhythms.

Electrosensitivity

About half the people in the study believed themselves to be

"electrosensitive", reporting symptoms such as headaches and impaired cognitive

function from mobile phone use.

But they proved to be unable to tell if they had been exposed to the radiation

in the test.

Alasdair Philips is director of Powerwatch, which researches the effects of

electromagnetic fields on health.

He said: "The evidence is getting stronger that we should treat these things in

a precautionary way.

"This research suggests that if you need to make a phone call in the evening it

is much better to use a land line, and don't have your mobile by your bedside

table."

Mike Dolan, executive director of the Mobile Operators Association, said the

study was inconsistent with other research.

He said: "It is really one small piece in a very large scientific jigsaw. It is

a very small effect, one researcher likened it to less than the effect you

would see from a cup of coffee."

Last September a major six-year study by the UK Mobile Telecommunications and

Health Research Programme (MTHRP) concluded that mobile phone use posed no

short-term risk to the brain.

However, the researchers said they could not rule out the possibility that

long-term use may raise the risk of cancer.