Most of us are guilty of taking our cell phone to bed with us. In fact, according to Pew Internet Project, about 44 percent of cell phone owners admit to having indulged their obsession to stay connected. But, according to the experts at Health.com, the results can be unsettling.
Here's what could happen:
You could set your pillow on fire
A Texas teen recently woke up to find that her partially melted Samsung Galaxy S4, which was under her pillow, had burned her sheets and mattress, Health.com reports. The culprit? A non-Samsung replacement phone battery the teen was using. Health.com says the phone's manual warned against using incompatible cell phone batteries and chargers. The website also warns about the risk of fire when cell phones are covered by bedding or thick material that traps heat generated by stored electricity. Health.com recommends sticking to phone accessories from the original manufacturer and not leaving your cell phone on your bed.
You could lose sleep
According to Health.com, cell phones and other devices with LED screens give off a blue light that studies suggest can inhibit the production of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone, and disrupt circadian rhythms. This might be because blue light emits wavelengths that are similar to daylight, so our bodies think its daytime, Health.com reports. They suggest powering down all electronics two hours before bedtime to ensure that you fall asleep when you want to.
You could get cancer – maybe
While there hasn't been any conculsive research that proves cell phone use causes cancer, the devices do give off small doses of electromagnetic radiation like X-rays and microwaves, which in high amounts, have been known to lead to tumor growth, Health.com states. With normal use, however, cell phones are perfectly safe to handle, Health.com says.
However, the World Health Organization warned in 2011 that cell phone usage can be especially harmful to children because their scalps and skulls are thinner than those of adults and therefore more vulnerable to radiation, Health.com reports.
Worried? If so, Health.com recommends texting instead of calling and using an earpiece or the speakerphone feature as much as possible. And avoid sleeping with the phone next to your head.
