You may be keeping it close for an alarm or even to observe the quality of your sleep for health purposes. However, your cell phone is not a good sleep companion! In addition to bedtime, your phone is harming you during the day in more ways than you realize.
Here are some common mistakes you need to be aware of to enjoy your technology in a healthier manner.
Sleeping with it
A cell phone is basically an electromagnetic transmitter and receiver. That means it emits radio waves. Although it’s not been proven yet, research continues to show how the waves may affect your brain after being exposed for long hours. It can wake you up with notifications during your sleep cycle, to say the least. If it’s impossible for you to turn it off completely or keep it in another room while you’re asleep, try keeping it on airplane mode.
Being exposed to blue light for too long
The light from your screen suppresses melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle which is another reason you shouldn’t be near it while you sleep. Blue light also causes headaches and eye and sight problems. Try resetting the light levels on your phone and turning on the blue light filter.
Using it with a low signal
When you see a weak signal on your phone, it actually means your phone is putting out a stronger signal as a transmitter, and more energy from your cell phone means more harm to your health. Dr. Devra Davis, the author of Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry Is Doing to Hide It, and How to Protect Your Family, recommends using a landline or to keeping the phone as far away from you as possible when the signal is low. It also causes your phone to heat up which is another danger.
Keeping it in contact with your skin
There are several studies that focus on the link between cell phones and cancer, specifically their transmission signal that’s around 900 MHz, which makes your phone get hot. Your skin absorbs the heat easily in tiny bits every time you keep it close to your body. Although there are no other proven effects of radiofrequency radiation on the human body, we know for a fact that the absorption ratio decreases dramatically when you keep some distance between you and your phone.
Looking at the screen with bad posture
It’s a known fact that using mobile phones causes thumb injuries like tenosynovitis. There is another cell phone health condition called “text neck.” As the name suggests, when you bend your neck forward to look at the screen, the stress on your cervical spine increases gradually.
And as time passes, the weight your neck feels may be 5 times more than your actual head weight. This causes neck pain and posture abnormalities. Hold your phone at eye level, keeping your neck as straight as possible.
Maybe you’re using your cell phone to read our article! Prepare a checklist to correct the mistakes you may be doing and don’t forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments.
