All of us have heard stories of phones exploding at bedsides, which raises the question of whether or not we should be sleeping with our smartphones.

If you’ve asked this question or have been asked this question, this article is for you.

Are smartphone radiations harmful?

Smartphones emit radiation. We all know that. The problem herein lies whether or not that radiation is harmful to us and if it is, how harmful is it?

Cellphones emit what is called ‘Radio Frequency’ (RF) to communicate with nearby towers, which in turn communicate with other phones. These RF may or may not be dangerous.

Why the uncertainty? Simply because cellphones haven’t been around long enough for us to determine the long term effects they’re gonna have on us. The danger is still evolving.

However, some studies have found that long-term high-intensity use of smartphones might be linked to some cancers and other major illnesses.

Major illnesses here include brain cancers, tumours, memory loss and so on. So yeah, pretty dangerous.

Even though these links might not be proven yet, there is still a compelling amount of evidence of why you should lower your exposure to RF.

Also read: Is it okay to leave your phone on charge all night?

How to protect yourself from smartphone radiation?

To begin with, there are some very simple ways to reduce your exposure to RF.

You can try not sleeping with your phone, for obvious reasons. Even a few feet will make a difference. Try using headsets as much as possible. You can also try carrying your phone in a backpack instead of your pocket or belt holster.

You should also avoid using your phone when it is emitting high levels or RF. This usually happens when you only have one or two bars of signal strength. Also, when inside a moving vehicle or when downloading/uploading files, your phone emits heavy RF, so be sure to keep a distance then as well.

Also, radiation shields or similar devices that claim to protect you against phone radiations are often quite useless. Such products will only affect the signal strength of your phone — potentially making the whole problem worse.

As more research brings more clarity to the effects of RF emissions on humans, all we can do in the meantime is to exercise caution and try sleeping a bit away from your phone as well.

Also read: 7 reasons why your smartphone is heating up and how to tackle it