“Do you sleep next to your phone?”
This is the first question I ask when someone tells me they have insomnia, anxiety or cancer. It is the most common question I ask people, in workshops and in readings, and the answer 95% of the time is “Yes.”
Cell phones are far too powerful a tool to be used as an alarm clock. The price is the disruption of restorative sleep, which compromises our wellbeing. The good news here is that the anxiety that impacts many of us is primarily an environmental issue, not an emotional one.
If your phone by your head at night, you are being blasted with wireless radiation. Wireless radiation creates inflammation, which in the short term can cause anxiety, and in the long term an inflammatory disease like cancer. Your phone, when passive or active, is consistently connecting with satellites, an activity that your brain registers as light, preventing deep sleep. Notifications can jar us awake at anytime. Having your phone on airplane mode still creates a magnetic field. The best solution is to turn your phone off and have it out of the room while you sleep (you will not miss a thing). If you have to have it on or nearby, have it far from your head, or in another room. Distance is your friend with wireless. A few feet makes a big difference.
If you use your phone as an alarm clock, a healthy alternative is to buy a simple battery powered clock. Bed Bath and Beyond has a good selection of them, including analog clocks.
Further action would be to turn your WiFi off at night, creating even greater peace in your home and in your nervous system. Putting it on a timer is a solution, let’s say off from 11:30pm to 7am.
The strongest source of wireless radiation in a house is a cordless phone. The primary base station acts like a cell tower, constantly showering the entire space with wireless radiation. This is worth replacing with a corded phone.
During the day, notice what it is like to not keep your phone on or near your body all the time. Keep it a few feet away and store it in a bag off your body when on the move.
It is ideal to have no screen time at least a half hour to an hour before going to sleep.
Our phones have got us used to mostly short brain waves. Our brain needs to use both to thrive. The lack of balance is one of the sources of anxiety and short attention spans. These activities create long brain waves: Meditation, walking in nature, creativity, watching a film without disruption, having a long conversation, and, best of all, reading.
Our current technology is fantastic, but it is creating changes in our bodies. As adults, we can handle it for the most part, but we need a break. By protecting our sleep environment, we can help our bodies restore, allowing all of our systems to thrive.
Resources:
A great resource for information and expert help is the Facebook group Autism and EMF. It is curated by Peter Sullivan of Clear Light Ventures. Peter is an expert in the link between EMF’s and our wellness.
www.LessEMF.com has a huge selection of shielding devices and materials. They have canopies for beds, meters, and shielding clothes for adults and kids. (518) 608-6479
Alan Maher has invented devices that create a field of protection around you. He also has grounding mats, wraps for to make the electricity coming into your space coherent, and other tools. I know Alan and his assistant, David, so mention me.
Listen to this 29 minute conversation on WNYC on the book Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport, professor of computer science at Georgetown University. He talks about the impact our digital lives have on our brains and our psychology. He also offers strategies for changing our patterns.
To discover the location of cell towers near you, please visit antennasearch.com