Jump to comment:

• Re: Sleep and use of electronic devices in adolescence: results from a large population-based study.
  Lennart Hardell
  Published on: 3 March 2015

• Published on: 3 March 2015

  Re: Sleep and use of electronic devices in adolescence: results from a large population-based study.

  • Lennart Hardell, MD, PhD, Professor
  • Other Contributors:
    • Michael Carlberg

  We have with interest read this article showing a negative association between use of PC, cell phone, MP3-player, iPad, game console, TV and sleep in young persons aged 16-19 years (1). The sleep parameters included sleep onset latency (SOL), sleep deficit, and sleep duration. In our cross-sectional study including 2000 invited subjects (63.5 % participation), aged 15-19 years, mobile phone use for > 15 min per day inc...

  Show More

  We have with interest read this article showing a negative association between use of PC, cell phone, MP3-player, iPad, game console, TV and sleep in young persons aged 16-19 years (1). The sleep parameters included sleep onset latency (SOL), sleep deficit, and sleep duration. In our cross-sectional study including 2000 invited subjects (63.5 % participation), aged 15-19 years, mobile phone use for > 15 min per day increased the risk for tiredness (OR = 1.5, 95 % CI =1.04-2.0), and for sleep disturbance (OR = 1.2, 95 % CI = 0.9-1.7) (2). The corresponding results for cordless phones were OR = 1.4, 95 % CI = 0.99-1.9 and OR = 1.2, 95 % CI = 0.9-1.7, respectively. However, it should be noted that the persons in the Norwegian study from 2012 used electronic devices for much longer daily time than in our study from 2005-2006. Furthermore, in our study very poor perceived health gave for mobile phone use > 30 min per day OR = 1.8, 95 % CI = 1.2-2.7 and for cordless phone use OR = 1.7, 95 % CI = 1.1-2.5. These results were no longer statistically significant adjusting for sleep and tiredness.

  Hysing et al (1) discuss very little exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) when using electronic devices such as cell phones and iPads as a possible contributing factor to sleep disturbances. In that context it would have been pertinent to also assess use of cordless phones (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications; DECT). The frequency used and output power from these devices are of the same order of magnitude as those of the GSM cell phones (3) and cannot be neglected in the assessment of total use of wireless phones.

  Beta-trace protein is an endogenous sleep-promoting neurohormone. It has a circadian pattern, increasing in the evening with the highest concentrations at night, and regulates sleep through the prostaglandin D system (4). Beta-trace protein may provide additional information on the possible link between sleep and RF-EMF exposure from wireless phones. If the latter would adversely affect sleep function, an effect could go via inhibition of the physiological up-regulation of beta-trace protein during sleep. We have published results showing a negative trend of beta-trace protein concentration in serum for long-term use of wireless phones in the age group 18-30 years (5,6). Our results indicate a biological mechanism for RF-EMF emissions that can contribute to disturbed sleep and should be considered in relation to the findings by Hysing et al (1).

  REFERENCES

  1. Hysing M, Pallesen S, Stormark KM, et al. Sleep and use of electronic devices in adolescence: results from a large population-based study. BMJ Open 2015;2;5(1):e006748. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006748.

  2. Soderqvist F, Carlberg M, Hardell L. Use of wireless telephones and self-reported health symptoms: a population-based study among Swedish adolescents aged 15-19 years. Environ Health 2008 May 21;7:18. doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-7-18.

  3. Redmayne M, Inyang I, Dimitriadis C, Benke G, Abramson MJ. Cordless telephone use: implications for mobile phone research. J Environ Monit 2010; 12: 809-12.

  4. Jordan W, Tumani H, Cohrs S. et al. Prostaglandin D synthase (beta -trace) in healthy human sleep. Sleep 2004:27:867-74.

  5. Hardell L, Soderqvist F, Carlberg M, Zetterberg H, Hansson Mild, K. Exposure to wireless phone emissions and serum beta-trace protein. Int J Mol Med 2010;26:301-6.

  6. Soderqvist F, Carlberg M, Zetterberg H, Hardell L. 2012. Use of wireless phones and serum beta-trace protein in randomly recruited persons aged 18-65 years: a cross-sectional study. Electromagn Biol Med 2012;31:416-24.

  Conflict of Interest:

  None declared

  Show Less

  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

  • Back to top