For many people today, the mobile phone is the last thing they look at before sleeping and the first thing they check after waking up. Keeping the phone on the bedside table or under the pillow has become a common habit. Over the years, this practice has raised concerns about radiation exposure, brain tumours, and cancer. However, doctors say the real issue is not cancer, but the effect on sleep quality.
According to medical experts, there is no strong scientific proof that sleeping with a phone near your head causes cancer. Dr Arundhati De, a radiation oncologist, explains that radiofrequency waves from mobile phones have not been shown to cause brain tumours or cancer. Large studies around the world continue to study long-term phone use, but current evidence does not support these alarming claims.
While cancer fears may be unfounded, doctors warn that phones can still disturb sleep in several ways. Smartphones emit blue light, sounds, vibrations, and notification alerts. Even when you are asleep, your brain can sense these signals. This constant stimulation prevents the brain from fully relaxing and can make it harder to enter deep and restful sleep.
Blue light from phone screens is especially harmful at night because it interferes with melatonin, the hormone that helps control sleep. Reduced melatonin levels can delay sleep and reduce sleep quality. Notifications, message sounds, or screen lighting up can also cause brief awakenings, even if you do not remember them.
Poor sleep does more than make you feel tired the next day. Over time, disturbed sleep can lead to headaches, low energy, poor concentration, memory problems, irritability, and weakened immunity. Long-term sleep deprivation can affect both mental and physical health, reducing overall well-being.
Doctors say small changes can help protect your sleep without giving up your phone completely. Keeping the phone away from your head while sleeping is one simple step. Using silent mode or do-not-disturb settings at night can prevent unnecessary alerts. Avoiding phone use for at least 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime also helps the brain wind down. If screen use is necessary, blue-light filters can reduce harm.
In short, sleeping with your phone near your head may not cause cancer, but it can quietly damage your sleep. Moving your phone a little farther away at night can make a big difference to sleep quality and help you wake up feeling more refreshed and healthy.
