Safe ICT NZ
Safe Information and Communications Technology for New Zealand
Best practice for a great nights sleep
Phone in Aeroplane mode
If by placing your phone in aeroplane mode it also shuts off other antennae, then just do that. Most probably, you will also have to shut off all communications with networks by placing in aeroplane mode and also shutting off WiFi, Bluetooth and cellular data/data usage, so that your cell phone is not in constant communication with a cellular tower exposing you to EMF radiation.
Aeroplane mode: To turn on aeroplane mode, go to Settings > Airplane mode, and switch it on this mode with a slider button. An aeroplane icon should then appear at the top of the screen.
All Electronic devices out of the bedroom
Safe ICT NZ highly recommends that your bedroom is as free from electronic devices including DECT phones (Cordless) as you can. If you really have to have one in the bedroom, you could do what is recommended in some parts of the world: place it near the feet rather than the brain. Keep chargers well away from the body at night as well.
Fit incandescent bulbs
Despite their energy-saving effectiveness return your bulbs to incandescent rather than LED, Compact fluorescent, or fluorescent. You do not want blue lights of any kind near you at night, because they wake you up, but also blue lights (a new and challenging invention for engineers) damage your eyes.
The electromagnetic fields from all other lightbulbs are quite surprisingly large and all bulbs apart from incandescent, interfere with our bodies cells.
But also, you have cells in your retina that are responsible for producing melatonin in order to regenerate the retina during the night. If you use LEDs after sunset you reduce the regenerative and restorative power of your eyes.
Swap out your phone's alarm for a quiet battery-driven alarm clock.
Hours to wake up the next day after using light emitting devices at bedtime
Sleep researcher Anne-Marie Chang studied the difference between reading an e-book and reading a paper book, on the reader's sleep. The study found the e-readers group:
by comparison to the paper book readers. The effects of the e-readers may be less harmful than smart phones which may be held closer to the eyes.
Shrouding your devices
Wellness Mama has an interesting about Podcast on EMF remediation which includes a discussion of the effect of shielding from EMF on sleep. We know that sleep alters the cellular structure of the brain, it actually shrinks during sleep. It is possible that the brain does this in order to flood the brain with anti-oxidant melatonin.
At night, after the sun sets we have a rise in the production of the important hormone Melatonin. It is made in the pineal gland an it gets sent through the bloodstream to other parts of the body to reduce wakeful hormones like dopamine. This is so you can relax and sleep. It is a powerful antioxidant so it acts to clean up the body, in the night.
Melatonin is suppressed by the blue light of the morning and glow from our screens. Electromagnetic frequencies also reduce melatonin It is vital to your sleep to turn off your devices.
