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Electromagnetic Fields and Sleep Deep Dive - The Apeiron Life Perspective

8 min read


What it is:

Electric and magnetic fields, collectively referred to as electromagnetic fields (EMFs), are forces generated by electromagnetic radiation. EMFs range from high-frequency, ionizing gamma rays, which damage DNA, to extremely low-frequency, non-ionizing EMFs (such as those emitted by power lines), which are not known to directly damage cells.


Electric fields are measured in volts per meter (V/m), and magnetic fields are measured in microteslas (μT). Electric fields are generated when devices are turned on and are easily blocked by walls and other objects. Magnetic fields, on the other hand, can pass through most materials.


Lightning discharges within Earth’s ionosphere maintain constant, extremely low-frequency electromagnetic radiation pulsing around the globe. These background EMFs are known as Schumann resonances. These hover at around 8 Hz and are believed to have been present throughout evolutionary history. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the brain also emits waves around 8 Hz.



Manmade EMFs are ubiquitous. Most people interface with multiple electronic devices every day to the extent that it’s virtually impossible to avoid EMF exposure altogether. The critical question, however, is whether there is a need to be concerned about them. There’s no doubt that high-frequency radiation wreaks havoc on the human body, but what about very low-frequency exposure to the degree that most of us experience it? Importantly for today’s discussion, are these omnipresent EMFs able to disrupt sleep or impair the body’s ability to rejuvenate itself?



The purported claims:

  • EMFs have been shown to improve, worsen, and have no impact on sleep

  • Early studies showed that EMF exposure could suppress melatonin secretion

  • Exposure to EMFs either during wakefulness or sleep can potentially modulate sleep depth and duration

  • Some evidence suggests that specific EMFs might be able to improve sleep and reduce insomnia symptoms



What the science says:

Much like the term “genetically-modified”, “electromagnetic radiation” can conjure a sense of apprehension in those who are misinformed. We hear “radiation” and might assume cell damage will ensue, but the reality is that EMFs take on many forms, and many are harmless. We use low-frequency EMFs every day to navigate our world, from microwaves that conveniently cook our food to the electronic device upon which you are reading this.


Modern existence demands at least some interaction with electronic devices, and many improve our quality of life. But this also means that more low-frequency EMFs are being generated than ever before. EMF exposure can be high and short-term, such as talking on a cellphone, or generally lower but continuous, such as proximity to a cellphone tower. Most of us have at least some grasp on how much we use our devices, but it’s much more challenging to measure passive exposure from EMFs in the surrounding environment.


Swiss researchers tested EMF exposure from cellphone base stations and broadcast transmitters over a few days. The key takeaways are that EMF exposure was greatest on public transport and airports. And that individuals without personal cellphones in these areas were only exposed to slightly less than the phone users themselves. This suggests that “second-hand” or passive exposure to EMFs is virtually unavoidable.


Sleep Research

The first investigation into EMFs and sleep began in the 1990s with several small, double-blind, crossover studies in healthy young males. Some of these studies found changes to sleep architecture (i.e. whether sleep became more or less deep, or how much time was spent in non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) versus REM sleep) with EMF exposure.


One of the first studies to objectively measure the effects of EMF on sleep did so in 16 young healthy males. These men were each subjected to two different experimental conditions on two different nights. In one condition, the men were exposed to radiation equivalent to that produced by a radio handset (900 MHz) for 30 minutes within a few hours of bedtime. The next night, they were exposed to a “sham field” (i.e. a device that didn’t emit any EMF). When the subsequent night of sleep was measured for each experimental condition, it was found that sleep was slightly deeper after EMF exposure. However, this only applied for the first 30 minutes of the night before sleep depth tapered off back to normal.


In another study, participants were exposed to one night of continuous 0.25-0.8 Hz radiation and found to sleep more deeply compared to a regular night without the pulsed radiation. Interestingly, however, when participants were given a motor task to complete the next day, they were found to do less well after the EMF exposure. We typically think of sleep as “the deeper, the better”, but the fact that daytime performance was not improved in the EMF-exposed group who slept more deeply suggests that the role of sleep and its many different stages is much more complex than that.


In a study of young women who were exposed to 60 Hz, there were no differences in sleep when measured using a wearable sleep tracker. These devices, however, are unable to measure brain activity and so may not have detected subtle changes in sleep depth as per the previously mentioned studies. The researchers also didn’t control for medication use in these women which was a significant limitation of the study design. Many medications can influence sleep.


Other studies have surveyed participants about their sleep under different EMF exposures and the findings have been mixed. One Swiss study found no effects on sleep among 1,375 people. In another study of healthy electric power plant workers routinely exposed to occupational EMF from the power plant itself and walkie-talkies, it was found that longer daily exposure was associated with more disturbed sleep. However, there was no association between years on the job and sleep quality, or years using a cellphone and poor sleep. The association between longer daily EMF exposure and worse sleep could well have been caused by other factors related to working longer hours, such as stress.


In a study of male workers in Iran who were routinely exposed to occupational EMFs, they reported only slightly worse sleep quality than age-matched controls. The researchers noted that all of the workers included in the study had physically demanding jobs and regardless of EMF exposure, generally experienced poor sleep due to demanding lifestyles.


Not much has been done on EMFs and sleep in children, but it is known that heavy electronic device usage in young people is associated with worse sleep and mental health due to stimulating social media content and melatonin-suppressing blue light at night. Researchers attempted to measure EMF exposure and sleep in Dutch and Spanish pre-adolescents (aged 9-12) and found that those who reported greater evening phone use had worse sleep. It’s unclear, however, whether EMFs were independently responsible for this compared to aforementioned factors such as social media and blue light.


What about melatonin?

Dr. Russell Reiter, one of the world’s leading experts on melatonin and an advocate for its potent antioxidant properties, has written about a plausible mechanism linking EMFs with cancer as being the suppression of melatonin. While the evidence in humans is limited, rodent studies have shown that EMF pulses around 60 Hz can impair the ability of the pineal gland to synthesize melatonin, which it typically does fresh every night at the onset of darkness. However, it’s worth noting that many of the studies that have been done on melatonin and EMFs haven’t controlled for light levels or other confounding factors.


In a study of individuals living near a radio transmission station in Switzerland, melatonin was found to be suppressed by approximately 10% prior to the station’s shutdown. Melatonin levels rebounded after the station closed, but the rebound was more significant among poor sleepers. Again, researchers didn’t control for many other factors, such as health status and ambient light levels, which may have been responsible for this.


Cell phones are undoubtedly the most apparent EMF source we interact with daily. An early 2000s study looking at melatonin levels and cellphone use found that an easy-to-measure melatonin metabolite level was lower among people who used a cell phone for more than 25 minutes per day. While it’s difficult to tease apart the mechanism linking melatonin suppression with today’s brightly-lit and highly engaging smartphones, cellphones of that generation had much more limited functionality, suggesting that melatonin suppression could indeed have been from EMFs rather than blue light emission.


Pro-Sleep Effects of EMFs

While very little research has been done, there have been a few studies that have investigated whether extremely low frequency EMFs can serve as an insomnia therapeutic, or assist with other sleep disorders. A couple of studies in the 1990s tried exposing participants with and without chronic insomnia to pulses of very low EMF for a short period of time in the afternoon. When measuring subsequent sleep, duration and quality improved in both groups.


More recently, in a study of people with nocturia (a condition where individuals have to wake up multiple times during the night to urinate), those who received the typical prescription medication, oxybutynin, along with a device that generated a Schumann resonance very low frequency of 7.83 Hz for 12 weeks did better than the group who received the medication alone. It’s unclear what underlying mechanism may have driven this.



Our take:

Natural, ultralow EMFs, such as those created by storm cells, can increase anxiety, restlessness, and fatigue in some people. Interestingly, it has been shown that stock brokers perform less well on days of high geomagnetic activity; anecdotally, many people report feeling "off" during extreme weather events. There is likely significant variation in sensitivity to EMFs, which may explain the mixed findings in the literature on sleep.


One of the first experiments on EMF and sleep was not a blind study and did not control for the fact that the participants were aware they had been exposed to EMF. Therefore, being wary of imprecise studies and information will allow you to determine your own opinion on exposure. Although it's challenging to pinpoint cellphone use as disturbing to sleep due to the EMFs they produce, a wealth of data does exist that excessive screen time is disruptive due to the stimulating content, blurring of work-life boundaries, and blue light exposure at night. Cleaning up your sleep habits, no matter your stance on EMFs will only benefit your health and longevity.



Will this benefit me?

If you are concerned about EMFs and want to take extra steps to minimize exposure during sleep, The HOGO bed has been designed with a silver and graphite mesh to block EMF exposure for sleepers. It is also marketed as being made of ultra-high-quality materials that promote optimal comfort during sleep. Two studies have shown that sleeping in the HOGO bed was associated with decreased biological markers of stress when compared to a control bed. However, it’s important to note that the manufacturer funded these studies, were only conducted on a small group of participants, and no doubt had many confounding factors, such as not controlling for other environmental influences on sleep.



Still curious to try it? If you do, here’s what to keep an eye on:

Similar to microplastics in the environment, it’s virtually impossible to avoid EMF exposure. Given that it’s immensely challenging to accurately measure exposure while controlling for all other environmental factors that can modulate sleep, it’s easy to see why research on sleep and EMFs is limited. 


While the jury is out on which EMF frequencies help or hinder and if there is any dose-dependent influence on sleep health, it’s clear that reducing daily screen time and taking breaks from electronic use more broadly can offer numerous benefits — particularly when paired with time outdoors in nature. 


References and additional materials:


Review of EMF and sleep studies conducted before 2019 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31252334/

EMF, sleep, and power plant workers - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25340654/

Melatonin, EMF, and cancer - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7724876/

Environmental exposure experiment in Switzerland - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19476932/

Magnetic field and melatonin - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10465710/

Electromagnetism and nocturia - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35960119/

Original HOGO Bed sleep study - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33228714/

 

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