I will admit that this may be the hardest of the New Years’ challenges… at least for me. Like many of you, my alarm clock has become a bit of a relic. Gone are the days when I reached for and pounded the snooze button just one more time to rid my brain of that highly irritating buzzer. These crude techniques and devices known as alarm clocks have become a thing of the past, replaced with modern computers in the form of Blackberries and iPhones at our bedside.
In no way conclusive, recent investigations have begun to shed some light on the influence of being surrounded by cellphone technology on a 24-7 basis. While no hardened evidence has been released, frightening data is slowly emerging to suggest that our smart phones may not be doing such great things to our biology. Whether it is an issue of sleep quality, or a question of fertility, I frequently caution patients about keeping their phones in close proximity 24-7. Convincing patients that risks such as cancer are increased due to cell phone exposure is a difficult pill to swallow without more compelling evidence. That being said, I have had a number of sleepless patients who have reported discernible benefits to their slumber when they either removed or turned off their cell phone at night.
The reality is, we don’t know the long-term effects of Wi-Fi, or cellular exposure to our bodies. Skeptics may argue that until we have the evidence there is nothing to worry about, I for one am prefering to air on the side of caution.
2013 health goal, Day 7: Move your cellphone away from your head while you sleep, your waist during the day and your bra when you are short on pockets.
This is a really interesting topic and some very reputable scientists have a lot to say on the topic of geopathic (technology-induced) stress on the human body.
For more information, check out these great resources:
The latest by renowned scientist and advocate, Devra Davis http://www.disconnectbook.com/
Canadian researcher, Dr. Magda Havas and her groundbreaking work http://www.magdahavas.com/
Photo credit: jamelah e. via Compfight