How does the radiation from wireless baby monitors affect sleep? Australian researchers have the answer. In a pilot study, published in late October, Dr Nicole Bijlsma and colleagues reported on the effects of radiation from a baby monitor on sleep – not the sleep of babies, but the sleep of adults.
The researchers, from RMIT University and the Australian College of Environmental Studies, exposed 12 healthy adults to baby monitor radiation of 2.45 GHz over a four-week period.
The results revealed some interesting effects on sleep.
- Participants reported poorer sleep when exposed to radiation from the baby monitor than when sham exposed.
- 27.3% of participants had insomnia during the exposure.
- During exposure, participants showed changes in brain wave patterns in the theta, beta, and gamma frequencies.
- Some people reported more effects of exposure on sleep than others, particularly older women.
- Repeated nightly exposure may have cumulative effects on sleep quality.
‘This is the first study to examine the impact of repeated exposure to 2.45 GHz radiation on sleep in real-world conditions,’ said lead researcher Dr. Nicole Bijlsma. ‘Our findings suggest that exposure to common radiofrequency devices may disrupt sleep for some people.’
The researchers recommended future studies to explore and elaborate the findings.
This study addressed the effects of radiation from a baby monitor on adults. We wonder what the effects would be on babies, given that their skulls are much thinner, they absorb more radiation and their brains are still developing.
Bijlsma N, Conduit R, Kennedy G and Cohen M (2024) Does radiofrequency radiation impact sleep? A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study. Front. Public Health. 12:1481537. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1481537
