More people are being affected by insomnia. There are many reasons for this, but generally it is down to lifestyle.
There is no doubt that we all live life at a fast pace. When the body needs to slow down, the mind doesn’t always follow suit and is still racing ahead, despite physical exhaustion.
The fact is that humans sleep for about a third of their lives; when we are all properly asleep, our bodies repair and restore our cells.
I am sure you will all agree there is nothing better than a good night’s sleep to help us to face the day ahead and feel strong mentally and physically.
When the body needs to slow down, the mind doesn’t always follow suit and is still racing ahead, despite physical exhaustion
Poor-quality and interrupted sleep has been attributed to electrosmog by many ; and this is what I am going to explore today.
It can be a vicious circle, as lack of sleep also prevents us from recovering from the damaging daily dose of electrosmog and so encourages the build-up of a condition known as electro sensitivity (ES) along with a host of symptoms (Living Safely in a World of Electromagnetic Pollution, McLean L., 2011).
Electrosmog is the invisible electromagnetic radiation resulting from the use of both wireless technology and mains electricity.
The most common sources of wireless electrosmog are cordless phones, cordless baby alarms, mobile phone masts/towers/transmitters, mobile telphones and wireless networks.
Electrosmog is responsible for ES or electro hypersensi-tivity (EHS). Symptoms include headaches, disruptive sleep patterns, chronic fatigue, depression, hypersensitivity, erratic blood pressure, skin complaints and behavioural patterns in children.
Children, the elderly and anyone with a lowered immune system are most at risk from the health effects of electrosmog, which can take 10-20 years to manifest themselves. However, for some, the effect can appear immediately.
Research shows that between three and five per cent of the general population could be ES sufferers. In Sweden, for example, 285,000 people (over three per cent of the population) are registered as ES sufferers and claim disability benefits from the government.
In Germany, more than 37,000 people, including 1,000 medical professionals, have signed the Freiburger Appeal, calling on the German government to take action in the face of the rapidly growing health issues they attribute to electrosmog.
In the Netherlands, a Dutch scientific study, the TNO Report, set out to prove that electrosmog had no effect on human cell tissue. The results were completely the opposite – and came as a surprise to the scientists.
The Austrian city of Salzburg has declared a maximum emission level of 0.6 volts per metre – approximately one per cent of UK reference levels.
Although the study of electrosmog and its effects is still an evolving area of research, there is a lot that is already understood and can be used to improve everyday life, including electromagnetic hygiene. Here are a few pointers for cleaning your home of electrosmog:
• Sleeping earthed and reducing dirty electricity. Last year, I wrote an expansive article about earthing. One can also use shielding earth sheets for the bed when sleeping – polycotton sheets with stainless steel filaments tightly woven in and filter devices that plug into electrical outlets to reduce dirty electricity in the home (Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?, Ober, C et al, 2012);
• Allowing fresh air into the home. Sleeping with open windows allows a beneficial level of ions to enter;
• Turning off your mobile phone in the bedroom. If your phone needs to be on (because of the alarm), it should be at least a metre away from you, preferably switched onto flight mode;
• Unplugging all mains-powered and charged devices in the bedroom. These should be at least two feet from the bed area. Our bedrooms have become invaded by electrosmog and our sleep is also affected. We tend to have TV sets, laptops, computers, electric blankets and other items in the bedroom. If possible, eliminate them all, so the bedroom is more sleep-friendly;
• Checking the lighting in the bedroom. It is preferable to use the traditional light bulbs than low-energy bulbs, which often emit dirty electricity;
• Using a corded phone not a cordless one if there is a landline phone in your bedroom;
• Using a memory foam mattress. Most metals cause a distortion of the earth’s ambient field that can affect us, and each coil spring within a mattress has its own magnetic properties that can cause a disturbing magnetic field to sleep on. Memory foam mattresses are free of these properties. Memory foam is also a much more popular choice of mattress these days. Another metal-free option is a futon-type bed with a metal-free bed frame.
• Preparing for sleep about an hour before you get into bed. Work through your home and unplug everything, including chargers, TV sets, dishes and consoles (The Power Watch Handbook, Philips A., Philips J., 2006).
Have a good night’s sleep.
kathryn@maltanet.net