What Happens if You STOP Using Your Cell Phone Before Bed for 14 Days

Summary

This video explores the negative effects of using cell phones before bed, particularly due to blue light and EMF exposure. It suggests using blue light blockers and speaker mode to mitigate issues like melatonin suppression, sleep disturbances, and potential health risks. The video also emphasizes the importance of sleep quality for cognitive function and overall health.

Takeaways

• 🌙 Blue light from cell phones suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, leading to poor sleep quality.
• 🛠 Blue light is more potent in the evening because it mimics daylight, which our bodies associate with being awake and alert.
• 🕶 Sunglasses do not effectively block blue light, as they lower all light equally without specific filtration.
• 🛡 Some blue light blockers are ineffective, but others, even inexpensive ones, can completely block blue light and are worth investing in.
• 🔬 A spectroscope can visually demonstrate the presence and intensity of blue light emitted by devices like cell phones.
• ⚠️ Prolonged exposure to blue light can increase cortisol levels and potentially damage the eyes, especially for those using computers and phones extensively.
• 🌐 Cell phones emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs), which can interfere with cellular communication and increase the risk of certain health issues, including cancer.
• 📡 Devices like the Trifield can measure EMF exposure, helping to identify areas with high radiation levels that may affect sleep and overall health.
• 💤 Poor sleep quality and disrupted REM cycles can have significant impacts on physical and mental repair processes during sleep.
• 🌡 Room temperature plays a role in sleep quality, with cooler temperatures (60°-69°F) being more conducive to restful sleep.
• 🚫 Avoiding cell phone use before bed and using blue light blockers can significantly improve melatonin production and sleep quality.

Q & A

What is the main issue with using a cell phone before bed?

The main issue is the exposure to blue light, which powerfully suppresses melatonin production, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, leading to difficulty falling asleep and poor sleep quality.

Why is blue light particularly disruptive to sleep?

Blue light is the most potent suppressor of melatonin because it mimics daylight, a signal for our bodies to be alert. It's especially disruptive before bed because it interferes with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle.

How does blue light affect melatonin levels?

Exposure to blue light, especially from digital devices, can significantly reduce melatonin production, making it harder for individuals to fall asleep and affecting the overall quality of their sleep.

What is the role of melatonin in the sleep cycle?

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It helps signal to the body that it's time to sleep, promoting a restful night's rest.

Why are sunglasses ineffective at filtering out blue light?

Sunglasses lower the intensity of all light wavelengths equally but do not specifically filter out blue light, which is the primary concern for sleep disruption.

What are blue light blockers and how effective are they?

Blue light blockers are glasses designed to filter out blue light. Their effectiveness varies, with some products not blocking blue light at all, while others can completely filter it out.

What is the impact of blue light on cortisol levels and eye health?

Blue light can increase cortisol levels to some degree and may cause damage to the eyes, especially with prolonged exposure, such as from using a computer all day and then looking at a phone at night.

What is EMF and how does it affect the body?

EMF stands for electromagnetic fields, an invisible radiation emitted by electronic devices. It can affect the body by disrupting cellular communication signals, potentially increasing the risk of certain types of cancer and tumor growth.

How can one measure exposure to EMFs?

Devices like the Trifield meter can measure exposure to EMFs, including electrical and magnetic fields as well as radio frequencies, helping users understand and reduce their exposure.

What is the impact of cell phone use on REM sleep?

Having a cell phone close to the head can disrupt REM sleep, which is crucial for physical and mental repair. Keeping the phone away or using speaker mode can help maintain healthy sleep patterns.

How does poor sleep quality affect daily life and health?

Poor sleep quality can lead to lower energy levels, reduced productivity, impaired cognitive function, and increased risks of health issues such as type 2 diabetes, dementia, and depression.

What are some simple steps to reduce the effects of blue light and EMFs before bed?

Using effective blue light blockers when using a cell phone, using speaker mode to keep the phone away from the head, and spending time in environments with infrared light, such as around a campfire or candles, can help reduce the effects of blue light and EMFs.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Impact of Cell Phone Use Before Bed

This paragraph discusses the negative effects of using cell phones before bed, particularly due to the blue light they emit. Blue light suppresses melatonin, a hormone crucial for sleep, leading to poor sleep quality and potential issues the next day. The script explains that blue light is the most potent during daytime, and its presence in electronic devices like cell phones is more intense and closer to the eyes, exacerbating its impact. The speaker also demonstrates that typical sunglasses do not block blue light, but specialized blue light blockers can be effective. Suggestions include using blue light blockers and avoiding exposure to blue light from devices before bedtime.

05:02

🌐 Understanding EMF and Its Effects

The second paragraph delves into the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from cell phones and other electronic devices. EMF is described as an invisible radiation that can disrupt cellular communication and potentially increase the risk of cancer and tumor growth. The speaker recommends using a device called the Trifield to measure EMF exposure in everyday environments. The paragraph also touches on the importance of REM sleep and the negative impact of having a cell phone close to the head during sleep. Strategies to mitigate EMF exposure include using speaker mode and keeping electronic devices away from the head. Additionally, the paragraph highlights the broader implications of poor sleep quality, such as reduced energy levels, impaired cognitive function, and increased health risks like diabetes, dementia, and depression.

Keywords

💡Blue Light

Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum that is particularly potent in suppressing melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. In the video, it is mentioned that exposure to blue light from devices like cell phones before bed can disrupt sleep patterns by reducing melatonin production. The script also discusses the intensity of blue light emitted by digital devices and its potential impact on sleep quality.

💡Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. The video emphasizes the importance of melatonin for sleep and how its suppression by blue light can lead to difficulty falling asleep and poor sleep quality. The script also mentions that blue light exposure can delay sleep onset and affect REM sleep, which is crucial for physical and mental repair.

💡Sunglasses

In the context of the video, sunglasses are discussed as a potential method for blocking blue light. However, it is clarified that regular sunglasses do not effectively filter out blue light, which is necessary for reducing its impact on melatonin production. The script includes a demonstration showing that only specific blue light blocking glasses can effectively block this harmful light.

💡Blue Light Blockers

Blue light blockers are glasses or other devices designed to filter out blue light, helping to protect the eyes and promote better sleep. The video discusses the effectiveness of different blue light blockers, highlighting that not all products are equally effective. The script includes a demonstration comparing various blue light blockers to show which ones are truly effective.

💡Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone that can be affected by blue light exposure. The video mentions that blue light can increase cortisol levels, which can further disrupt sleep and affect overall health. High cortisol levels are associated with stress and can interfere with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle.

💡EMF (Electromagnetic Fields)

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are invisible radiations emitted by electronic devices, including cell phones. The video discusses the potential health risks associated with EMF exposure, such as damage to cellular communication signals and an increased risk of certain types of cancer. The script also mentions the use of a device called the 'trifield' to measure EMF exposure in the environment.

💡REM Sleep

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and vivid dreams. The video explains that REM sleep is important for physical and mental repair and that blue light exposure can disrupt this stage of sleep, leading to poor sleep quality and potential health issues.

💡Temperature

The video discusses the impact of room temperature on sleep quality. It is mentioned that a higher room temperature, like 75°F, can lead to poor sleep quality, while a cooler temperature between 60° and 69°F can improve sleep. The script suggests that maintaining an optimal room temperature is crucial for better sleep and overall health.

💡Cancer Risk

The video mentions that exposure to EMF from electronic devices can increase the risk of certain types of cancer and tumor growth. This is due to the damage that EMF can cause to cellular communication signals, potentially leading to uncontrolled cell growth.

💡Speaker Mode

Speaker mode is a feature on cell phones that allows users to conduct calls without holding the device close to their ear. The video suggests using speaker mode to reduce the proximity of the phone to the head, thereby minimizing exposure to EMF and blue light, which can interfere with melatonin production and sleep.

💡Infrared Light

Infrared light is mentioned in the video as a beneficial type of light that can increase melatonin production. The script suggests that exposure to infrared light from sources like campfires, candles, or fireplaces can help improve sleep quality by promoting the production of melatonin.

Highlights

Most people use their cell phone before bed, but this can disrupt sleep due to blue light exposure.

Blue light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep.

Blue light is more intense in LED screens than even at noon sunlight.

Just 1.5 minutes of blue light exposure before bed can reduce melatonin levels.

Sunglasses do not effectively filter out blue light.

Blue light blockers are necessary to protect against the harmful effects of blue light.

Not all blue light blockers are effective; some are a waste of money.

A $2.95 pair of blue light blockers was found to be highly effective.

Blue light can also increase cortisol levels and potentially damage the eyes.

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) from cell phones can affect cell communication and increase cancer risk.

The Trifield device can measure EMF exposure in your environment.

EMF exposure can delay sleep onset and affect REM sleep cycles.

Keeping cell phones away from the head can reduce melatonin suppression.

Factors like alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and stress can also affect melatonin levels.

Room temperature affects sleep quality, with cooler temperatures being more conducive to sleep.

Poor sleep can lead to decreased energy levels, productivity, and cognitive function.

Long-term poor sleep can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia, and depression.

Using blue light blockers and speakerphone can reduce the negative effects of cell phone use before bed.

Infrared light from sources like campfires and candles can increase melatonin production.

Transcripts

what would happen if you were to stop

using your cell phone before bed for

just 14 days this is going to be very

interesting the majority of the

population uses their cell phone before

bed and there's two big reasons why they

should not do that but if they do use a

cell phone there are several things you

can do to minimize the problem with this

the first problem with your cell phone

and other mobile devices is this thing

called Blue Light in the spectrum of

visible light the first band of light is

the blue light blue light powerfully

suppresses melatonin melatonin is the

hormone that helps you go to sleep at

night if your melatonin is too low

you're going to have a hard time going

to sleep and the quality of sleep is not

going to be that great and this is going

to lead to a whole bunch of problems the

next day now you're probably asking

yourself like why out of all the

different uh types of color why is blue

the one that messes with your melatonin

now in order for our bodies to have

adapted to the awake and sleep cycles

certain triggers were necessary you have

light and darkness right and during the

day what is the color of the sky blue

blue is the most powerful color that

suppresses melatonin because during the

day you need to be alert and then when

it starts to become nighttime and the

Sun starts setting maybe the reddish

Sunset type colors those actually don't

suppress melatonin this is why you

should not be exposed to Blue Light

before you go to bed but in the LED

lighting system in your cell phone and

and the digital devices you have a more

intense version of this blue light then

even where the sun is at Peak at 12:00

noon only

1.5 minutes of exposure to this blue

light before bed can start to reduce

your melatonin especially since it's

more intense and it's closer to your

eyes now with the TV screen it's giving

up blue light but it's further away it's

not as intense but there's also a blue

light therapy to help people with

seasonal effect disorder during the

winter time now the first thing that

comes to mind is well why don't I just

use a blue light blockers okay and wear

that before I go to bed so I can keep

using the cell phone or a mobile device

well there's some fascinating

information about blue light blockers

and for that I'm going to give you a

little demonstration right now

sunglasses do not filter out blue light

and the problem with sunglasses is they

lower all of the spectral light to a

certain degree equally but they don't

filter the blue this is a very specific

laser that uh gives just the blue light

that we want to filter and I want to

show you something before we get into

the blue light blockers we're going to

show you what happens with just regular

sunglasses right so I'm just going to

put this right here and then show you we

go through the sunglasses Let's test

another pair of sunglasses right here

doesn't really do much does it here's

another pair of sunglasses does not

filter it with a darn I will say that

some some of these sunglasses do help

you against the UV so at least it does

something so here's the first one right

here this is a blue blocker I think it's

like 30

$32.95 so let's see what happens with

this

one does not work at all that would be a

waste of money let's look at this one

right here this is a blue light blocker

okay this one's better but not 100%

let's check this glasses so we just

bought a bunch of different blue

blockers and you can see this one does

not block the blue out waste of money

let's try this one right here this one

works great this one completely blocks

everything out all right now let's check

the one that costs I think

$2.95 it's this one right here the cool

looking

one wow that blocks it really nicely see

that for three bucks so I think this is

the winner right here and it looks cool

so I'm going to put this link down below

okay there's one more test we can do

with a spectroscope this is $10 this is

going to just show you what happens when

you look at your cell phone okay if you

want to just hold this right here so

when I look into this you're going to

see there's blue light coming off the

cell phone and this is the problem it's

very intense it's very close to your

face when you're scrolling along so if

you actually were to add something like

this if you wanted to use your cell

phone at night and put this in front and

look through there you could see the

blue light disappears

so in other words if you want to sleep

at night you want to wear some type of

blue blocking device that really works

so you cannot suppress melatonin blue

light also increases cortisol to a

certain degree and blue light can

actually damage the eye if you have too

much exposure to that Spectrum

especially if you're sitting in front of

a computer all day long and then

watching your cell phone at night then

we get into the topic of the next

problem with the cell phone and that is

something called called EMF

electromagnetic fields an invisible

radiation that affects our whole body it

creates damage within the communication

signals in the cell it also can increase

the risk of certain types of cancer in

tumor growth because it damages part of

the cell now of course I use a cell

phone a lot of people use a cell phone

it's just a matter of understanding what

you can do to reduce that exposure to

the EMF the one that I like is called

the trifield

because it's very simple to use and it

doesn't just measure the electrical

fields and the magnetic fields but also

the radio frequency as in you know cell

tower frequencies uh frequencies from

routers and so it's very very accurate

very very simple to use and I've been

using this for several years so I think

it'd be a smart thing to at some point

get one of these units and start

measuring the places in your environment

that you spend a lot of time whether

it's in front of the computer or it's

next to a cell phone and then you can

actually visualize this hidden radiation

that's coming off these devices and know

how much is being admitted like for

example when I first got this I went

through my entire house and I found uh

there is a tremendous amount of magnetic

fields around my bed I noticed that I

had heart palpitations when I slept and

I felt really really tired waking up

like more than usual and that's because

I was being bathed in this huge magnetic

field so it's going to fect the quality

of sleep how deep you sleep and it's

going to affect how you feel the next

day in fact every minute that you use

this before you go to bed there could be

a delayed sleep onset by 3.5 minutes the

other thing I want to talk about is uh

REM sleep so when you go to sleep you go

through deep sleep okay and then you go

to a superficial wave sleep which is

called REM sleep and so it kind of

Cycles through every 90 minutes up and

down up and down versus a deep Delta

wave sleep has a lot to do with

repairing the physical body body more

than the mental repair let's demo out

what happens when your cell phone is

close to your skull what we're trying to

do is we're trying to have you take this

cell phone and keep it as far away from

your head as possible under speaker mode

so you will not uh affect melatonin and

you can actually sleep like a baby now

there's a lot of other things that

affect melatonin alcohol caffeine

nicotine stress before bed and of course

we also have temperature if the

temperature is higher like 75° fahr Your

Sleep Quality is going to be very poor

but there's a range between 60° and like

69° that you're going to find that

you're going to have much better sleep

because when you go to sleep your core

temperature does drop by one to two

points people that have insomnia have a

higher core temperature now what's the

problem with crappy sleep it's the next

day okay how you feel it's your energy

level it's your ability to be productive

your ability to have cognitive function

and have focus and concentration and

creativity I had a problem with sleep

for literally I'd say 12 to 15 years at

one time I had Restless like syndrome

the other portion of the time I just

would wake up at 2 o'clock in the

morning and it was my cortisol that was

just way too high of course I never

really looked at my diet but that was

really behind this whole thing I didn't

even use a cell phone before bad and I

used to then try to do a sugar coma by

cons assuming a pint of Ben and& Jerry's

before bed so I could sleep but that is

a very stupid uh solution because you

would wake up feeling groggy so what

happens when your sleep is crappy you're

going to feel like crap the next day but

also you have a higher risk of having

blood sugar problems the risk of type 2

diabetes goes up by 48% there's a risk

of Dementia by 33% and a 30% risk of

developing a depression probably because

you're just exhausted so there's many

simple things you can do to to reduce

this effect of blue light and EMF let's

say you have to use your cell phone uh

then just wear blue light blockers that

actually work when you use your cell

phone use the speaker phone don't hold

this thing close to your brain okay and

just by eliminating that certain blue

light that's going to make a huge

difference in your melatonin and also if

you're around uh a campfire or you have

candles or you have a fireplace all of

that gives off infrared which can also

increase melatonin so there are huge

benefits of not using that cell phone

before you go to bed and I gave you a

little introduction to the EMF there's

more to know about that and for that I

put up this video right here check it

out