Better Sleep As the Days Get Shorter: How EMFs May Be Disrupting Your Night

Autumn’s arrival brings longer nights, and for many of us, that shift means changes in our routines. As our bodies adjust to the shorter days, darker mornings, and cooler weather, we also might notice a change in sleep. Maybe it’s more tossing and turning, lighter sleep, or waking up feeling unrested. So often, we blame seasonal sleep shifts on the temperature, mood, or routine changes, but there’s an often-overlooked factor that might also be playing a role: electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

Evidence of EMFs disrupting sleep goes beyond anecdotal observations. Recent research has explored how EMFs can affect sleep, including possible biological reasons behind the disruptions. Let’s take a look at what the research says and how cleaning up the electromagnetic environment might support better rest as the days grow shorter.

During a 2024 study, researchers exposed 12 healthy adults to radiofrequency signals from a smart baby monitor. Radiofrequency (RF) energy is emitted by all of our wireless devices that rely on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cell service for connectivity. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, subjects experienced significantly worse sleep quality during RF exposure versus the people who were not exposed. EEG scans showed increases in power in brain waves during NREM sleep, suggesting more brain activity during periods of sleep that are normally more quiet and restorative. 

Animal studies have explored the connection between EMF exposure and the body’s production of melatonin – the hormone responsible for regulating our circadian rhythms. One study which continuously exposed rats to EMFs for an entire month found a small decrease in REM compared to the control group.

How exactly man-made EMFs influence the pineal gland, which is responsible for producing melatonin, is still unsolved. One theory suggests that the pineal gland is likely to sense EMFs as light, and therefore may decrease melatonin production. However, evidence is limited and often contradictory. More research is needed to fully understand this link.

When it comes to health, everything is connected. When we don’t feel well, we often don’t sleep well either. We know EMFs potentially contribute to oxidative stress, and this imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants can impact our wellness in ways that show up in our sleep quality. The headaches, weakness, and pain that can arise from experiencing oxidative stress could make getting quality sleep a challenge.

Let’s sum up the biological mechanisms behind how EMFs could potentially be making those long nights feel even longer:

• Melatonin disruption: Melatonin, the hormone tied to darkness, regulates our sleep-wake cycles. If EMFs alter melatonin release, falling and staying asleep may be impacted.

• Changes in brainwaves: EEG studies like the ones mentioned in the study above show increased higher brain frequency activity (beta and gamma) under RF exposure. This suggests less deep, restorative sleep and more micro-wakings in the night.

• Oxidative stress and inflammation: The body produces some inflammation alongside free radicals during normal metabolic processes, but it also produces antioxidants to keep everything in balance. EMFs increase that inflammation to a level where our natural antioxidant defenses have a harder time keeping up.

• Sensory “noise:” Our bodies may perceive EMFs as a form of environmental “noise,” or a digital background static that can potentially disturb rest.

As research continues to evolve, there are simple ways to reduce your EMF exposure at night. Try a few of these and see if you notice a difference in how you feel the next morning:

• Create Distance: Move wireless devices like routers, baby monitors, and phones out of the bedroom or across the room from your bed.

• Unplug: Turn off the Wi-Fi at night, and switch your phones off if you don’t need to be reachable. This eliminates some major RF sources during your sleeping hours.

• Wire In: Where possible, use hardwired alternatives such as ethernet cords and wired headphones if listening to an audiobook or podcast before bed. Wired devices have far fewer emissions than their wireless counterparts.

• Go Tech-Free Before Bed: Ditch the screens in the hour leading up to bed. Opt for relaxing activities like reading a book, journaling, listening to music, or meditating.

It’s nearly impossible to eliminate all EMF sources in your home, but the good news is: you don’t have to. Wellness technology like Aires is specifically designed to clean up the electromagnetic environment by restructuring manmade EMFs into a more biologically-friendly form. 

Instead of blocking EMFs, Aires devices modulate electromagnetic fields, effectively tuning your space to reduce stress on your body.

From studies and anecdotal reports, people commonly report the following improvements after cleaning up their electromagnetic environment:

• Falling asleep faster with fewer wake-ups at night

• Deeper sleep with a feeling of more restorative rest

• Better morning alertness; less grogginess

• Less tossing and turning

Want to clean up your electromagnetic environment and see if your rest improves? Tracking your sleep with a sleep journal can help shed light on how EMFs are impacting your sleep quality. Try the following steps:

1. Move your router and any other Wi-Fi connected devices out of the bedroom.

2. Set your phone outside the room to charge, or at least far from your bed.

3. Remove or distance any smart devices in the bedroom.

4. Place an Aires Zone or Zone Max in the bedroom

Every morning, use a simple scale (1-5) or jot down a few notes about how well you slept and how you felt upon waking. After 2-weeks, reflect on any major changes you notice in your sleep.

As daylight continues to dwindle and nights get longer, it’s natural for sleep to shift a bit. But if you’re finding it consistently hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or you’re waking up feeling groggy, don’t overlook the invisible environmental factors that may be playing a role.

The science isn’t 100% settled yet, but multiple studies point to a connection between EMFs and sleep disturbances. With that in mind, taking precautions is a smart choice – especially when simple habit changes are low-cost, and wellness devices like Aires offer a passive way to clean up the electromagnetic environment surrounding us while we sleep. When we quiet the digital noise and align our space with the season’s slower rhythm, we give our bodies the support needed to feel fully rested, restored, and renewed.