Is it bad to sleep next to your router? Here's what science says
In this guide, I will explain to you what science says about the effect of sleeping next to the router on your health and whether it is really dangerous. It is quite natural to worry about this issue, especially since the router has become a device that we cannot do without, in addition to the fact that it emits certain levels of radiation. I invite you to analyze in detail some of the studies published on this topic and some recommendations to reduce the impact of these devices on health.
- Is sleeping next to the router bad? Everything indicates that it is not
Currently, there is no conclusive evidence that the radio frequency radiation emitted by routers has any negative effects on health. You should know that radio frequency radiation is non-ionizing, which means it does not have enough energy to damage DNA or cause changes in cells, as ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, does.
The World Health Organization has evaluated the potential effects of exposure to radio frequency radiation and concluded that there is no scientific evidence to suggest a health risk at permissible exposure levels. In fact, the level of radio frequency radiation emitted by a router is very low, much lower than other common devices such as microwave ovens and mobile phones.
However, exposure to radio frequencies remains a topic of debate. Although current data does not suggest short-term risks, some people are still concerned about the long-term effects of continued exposure. As I will explain below, there are sleep studies that have analyzed whether exposure to radio frequencies, while safe, can produce mild side effects on the quality of sleep, something similar to what happens when we look at our cell phone before bed.
- May affect sleep quality
Although there is no conclusive evidence that radio frequency radiation directly affects health, some studies suggest that exposure to these waves can slightly affect the quality of sleep. I can already tell you that none of the findings indicate serious disorders, but it is clear that the effects may be more or less serious, depending on the person.
According to this study, which was conducted on groups of healthy young adults who were exposed to Wi-Fi throughout the night, no significant effects were found on the overall structure of sleep, i.e. on aspects such as total sleep duration or the number of times one wakes up. However, if we look closely and look at the microstructure of sleep, a slight decrease in EEG alpha wave activity was observed during non-rapid eye movement sleep, a critical stage for deep rest. Although these changes are small and do not affect the subjective perception of sleep quality or the objective assessment of sleep structure, they may be more pronounced in some people.
The truth is that it has not been easy to find more studies that support or correct what has been stated so far. Research in this area is limited, and most studies conclude that any potential sleep disturbance due to radio frequency radiation is negligible. Yes, I have come across a few sites that claim that Wi-Fi waves can affect melatonin secretion. Now, in this regard, smoking cigarettes certainly affects us more than having a cell phone or router nearby while we sleep.