Human sleep under the influence of pulsed radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: a polysomnographic study using standardized conditions.

Wagner P, Roschke J, Mann K, Hiller W, Frank C

Bioelectromagnetics 19(3):199-202, 1998

To investigate the influence of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of cellular phone GSM signals on human sleep electroencephalographic (EEG) pattern, all-night polysomnographies of 24 healthy male subjects were recorded, both with and without exposure to a circular polarized EMF (900 MHz, pulsed with a frequency of 217 Hz, pulse width 577 micros, power flux density 0.2 W/m².

Suppression of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep as well as a sleep-inducing effect under field exposure did not reach statistical significance, so that previous results indicating alterations of these sleep parameters could not be replicated. Spectral power analysis also did not reveal any alterations of the EEG rhythms during EMF exposure. The failure to confirm our previous results might be due to dose-dependent effects of the EMF on the human sleep profile.