Electromagnetic radiation is often misunderstood or completely ignored by most of us. I didn’t really pay attention to the health impacts of this toxin until much later in my healthy home journey. And what I realized is that I could have made SUPER simple changes right away that were giving my body the healing space it needed.
Instead I ignored so much of the guidance on EMFs, and as I exposed myself to these toxins more and more, I started to see some of the negative impacts they warned about.
The worst part of all this was making a few small changes that went a LONG way and it includes things like simple placement of electronic items, not necessarily getting rid of them altogether.
I’m all about practical changes. And the truth is that we live in a world that uses electronics and it can be near impossible to live without these items when it comes to work, school and just daily life. I’m not saying we should get rid of things like phones, computers or other electronics. Nope, instead, I’m all for finding safer ways to use these items in practical ways.
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION & YOUR HEALTH
I think what finally got me to start changing things in my house was the fact that there was evidence that exposure to electromagnetic fields and radiation impacts our health and wellness.
Increased Risk of Cancer: Numerous studies have explored the association between EMFs and childhood cancers, such as leukemia. Though more research is being done to provide more solid evidence, it appears that there is some association between higher EMF exposure and childhood leukemia. Brain cancer has also been studied on a larger scale, and while typically this link is often between RF (from cell phone use), there has been an association found between high use of electronics and cell phones to a slightly increased risk of developing brain cancer.
Oxidative Stress on Tissue: A published study in the National library of Medicine links damage to DNA, changes to the activity of a cell membrane and oxidative damage to blood vessels to exposure to EMF in the home. This can eventually lead to various diseases including sleep disorders, atherosclerosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Increased Risk of Tumors: A 2015 study concluded that the energy from mobile phones and other electronics near the head is absorbed by the body and can in turn increase the risk of developing tumors in the head and neck area.
Endocrine and Cardiovascular Impact: The Institute for Functional Medicine suggests possible links between EMF exposure and endocrine disruption, which can impact hormone levels. Once hormone levels are impacted, it can lead to broader health implications. Studies have examined potential cardiovascular impacts, such as heart rate variability, which may increase cardiovascular stress in high EMF exposure scenarios.
Neurological and Cognitive Effects: A study out of the European Union reports that EMF exposure, particularly at night, can influence sleep patterns. This and then impact non-REM sleep cycles and can cause long-term effects on cognition and brain function due to this massive disruption of sleep.
AS A BUILDING BIOLOGIST I PUT MOST OF MY FOCUS ON YOUR BEDROOM
The reason the focus for exposure to EMFs in your home is put primarily on your bedroom is for a number of reasons.
First, when we look at a pie chart of WHERE you’re spending the MOST amount of time over a 24 hour period, your bedroom makes up the largest part of the pie. In other words, compared to any other place, you likely spend the most amount of time in your bedroom. This means whatever toxins are in your bedroom are being exposed to you for that same amount of time. Bedrooms can be a place that can very quickly impact the body either positively or negatively due to the amount of time we spend there.
The second reason that the bedroom is one of the best places to focus when it comes to reducing EMF exposure is that it can improve sleep. We know that sleep is one of the most CRUCIAL pieces of the puzzle when it comes to our overall health and wellness. Without adequate, quality sleep, our bodies’ other systems can’t function at their best. Without good sleep, our body won’t be able to heal or stay healthy. Sleep is incredibly important to our health and overall wellness.
And finally, at night is when our bodies work hard to heal from the day, naturally detox and the brain repairs itself from the day. Sleep actually helps our brain and body flush out many of the toxins that we come in contact with during the day. And without a low toxin environment while we sleep, our body isn’t able to fully detoxify. Instead it just keeps coming in contact with more and more toxins.
STEPS TO AVOIDING ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN YOUR BEDROOM
Step 1: Remove What You Can:
Any electronics you can remove from your room will drastically benefit your health and wellness. The best policy with any electronic that has any sort of connection to wi-fi is to remove it completely. Take inventory of your space and see what items you can remove from your room completely, whether it’s connected to Wi-Fi or not.
When it comes to a phone that you use for an alarm clock or need available while you sleep, consider moving it to an adjoining bathroom or hallway to give your body some space from this EMF producing electronics.
Step 2: Move Items As Far Away From Your Bed as Possible:
Whatever you weren’t able to remove from your room completely should be moved as far away from your bed as possible. Generally EMFs drop off quite quickly from devices and from electronic items.
For example, we prefer to use our Medify Air Purifier in all the bedrooms in our home at night. When I tested the EMFs produced, they were higher right next to the purifier, but as soon as I was about two feet away, the EMFs weren’t even registering. Keeping this in mind, try to keep a four to six foot radius around your bed, especially focusing on where your head is, clear of any electronics.
Step 3: Turn Wi-Fi Off at Night:
I was recently with a client where we tested her bedroom with Wi-Fi on and then again with Wi-Fi off. The changes in EMF and RF frequencies drastically reduced with the Wi-Fi turned off. And chances are you might not need your Wi-Fi on at night while you’re sleeping. This is a great way to promote healthy sleep throughout your entire home. And often it’s something you can control right from your phone.
Step 4: Use Battery Operated Items Instead:
Battery operated clocks and lamps are great alternatives to corded, EMF producing counterparts. Because they don’t plug in or have constant electricity, they don’t give off electromagnetic radiation. I’ve even seen tutorials online to turn a corded lamp into a battery operated lamp if you’re attached to the lamps you have in your room.
Another alternative is to use a rechargeable book light. Make sure to get one that is a soft yellow hue so that it doesn’t introduce blue light to your bedroom in the evening.
Step 5: (Optional) Utilize Switch Controlled Outlets:
If your bedroom has outlets that are operated by light switches, this is a great tool to utilize for your sleeping space. It will turn off all power to a particular outlet and so whatever is in that outlet, such as a lamp, won’t be able to give off any EMFs while you’re sleeping. Not all homes have these, so this is just an option in case you do have these types of outlets.
PICKS FOR AN EMF FREE AND BLUE LIGHT FREE BEDROOM
