Study examines the long term use of mobile phones on sleep quality

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This was a prospective cohort study that used data from two groups within the larger cohort that makes up the COSMOS study to examine the effect of mobile phone use on sleep quality. The COSMOS study was initiated to evaluate a broad range of health outcomes in relation to radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure from mobile phone use. This study specifically focussed on the first two countries to complete the 4-year follow up assessment, Sweden and Finland. The analysis included 21,049 and 3,120 participants aged between 18 and 66 years who had operator data for their mobile phone use in Sweden and Finland, respectively. The sleep quality outcomes examined included daytime somnolence, sleep disturbance, insomnia, sleep latency and sleep adequacy. The authors reported that there was a small association with insomnia in the highest users of mobile phones (odds ratio (OR) was 1.24 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.03 – 1.51). No association was observed for other sleep outcomes.

Long-term Effect of Mobile Phone Use on Sleep Quality: Results From the Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health (COSMOS)

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Although an association with high mobile phone use and insomnia was observed, when the authors adjusted the data to account for the lower exposure to RF-EMF from the UMTS (3G) compared to the GSM (2G) network, this association was no longer there (OR was 1.09 (95% CI 0.89–1.33)). Therefore, it is possible that other factors associated with mobile phone use other than exposure to RF EMF could explain the initial result. Epidemiological studies examining possible effects of RF EMF exposure on sleep quality were considered in the review of evidence that informed the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) opinion on Potential health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). The evidence for sleep disruption was also considered in ARPANSA Technical Report 164: Review of Radiofrequency Health Effects Research – Scientific Literature 2000 – 2012 resulting in conclusions consistent with the SCENIHR opinion. Overall, the SCENIHR report concluded that there was no substantiated scientific evidence to support disruptions to parameters affecting sleep quality. The results of this study provide further evidence that the limits set within the ARPANSA RF standard are appropriate for protecting people from the known harmful effects of exposure to RF EME.