Electromagnetic Fields:
The Dark Side of Technology

by Herbert Ross, D.C.
and Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
with Burton Goldberg

Continued from Part I

Electromagnetic Fields and Sleep Disorders

Researchers suspect artificial EMFs cause sleep problems in a number of ways. First, the fields have a higher rate of oscillation (vibrate at a higher number of cycles) and strength than the natural electromagnetic energy fields of the body at rest. In addition, EMFs can disrupt the body's production of melatonin, a hormone that controls the body's sleep-wake cycle.

High Oscillation Rate Disrupts Sleep

The frequency at which an EMF is pulsed determines whether or not it is harmful. For example, the voltage of the electric current used in homes in the United States is 60 Hz (cycles per second). In contrast, the ideal frequencies of the human brain during waking hours range from 8 Hz to 20 Hz, while in sleep the frequencies may drop to as low as 2 Hz. The higher frequencies of EMFs generated by artificial electrical currents may disturb the brain's natural resonant frequencies and, in time, lead to cellular fatigue, according to John Zimmerman, Ph.D., president of the Bio-Electro Magnetics Institute in Utah.¹⁵

While common household electric currents oscillate at a rate of 50-60 Hz, this is slow compared to an FM radio station broadcast that comes to you on waves that oscillate at 100 million times per second, or 100 megahertz. Generally, the higher the frequency of the wave, the more energy it has and also the more potential it carries for damage.

But even 60-Hz EMFs are vibrating much faster than the human body's brain wave patterns at rest, says acupuncturist M.M. van Benschoten, O.M.D., based in Reseda, California. For example, if you have an electric clock radio on your bedside nightstand, it is generating 60-Hz EMFs probably not more than a foot or two from your head. This is a problem because your brain waves in deep sleep oscillate at 2-4 cycles per second (2-4 Hz), Dr. van Benschoten says. The EMFs from the clock radio could interfere with the rest pattern and prevent you from falling asleep or from staying in deep sleep. Dr. van Benschoten recommends removing all electric appliances from the bedroom or from close proximity to the bed.

Equally as important as the oscillation frequency of the EMFs are their strength. The strength of EMFs are measured in units called gauss. Most common appliances, which are very low frequency or extremely low frequency EMFs, are measured in units of milligauss, or one thousandth of a gauss. The milligauss level decreases as your distance increases from the appliance or device. For instance, an electric fan has an EMF at four inches of up to 900 milligauss; at three feet, it is only 5-20 milligauss. A computer monitor has an EMF measuring up to 600 milligauss at a four-inch distance; at one foot, it is only 3-30 milligauss. A microwave oven has an EMF of 40-90 milligauss at one foot; at three feet, it drops to 3-5 milligauss.¹⁶

EMFs Can Disrupt Melatonin Production

One of the main reasons why medical professionals and others are concerned about EMF exposure levels is a growing body of research showing EMFs have a negative impact on melatonin production in the body. EMFs from household sources are so small that the electrical currents they induce in the human body are actually weaker than those induced by electrical activity in nerve and muscle cells. Yet even these low-frequency EMFs can alter gene expression, the activity of enzymes involved in growth regulation, calcium balance in the cell, and the brain's metabolism of the hormone melatonin.¹⁷

Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, was once thought to be unimportant. However, in recent years, researchers have found that it is present in every cell of the body and is essential in regulating the body's clock, or circadian rhythm, the mechanism that controls our sleep-wake cycles.

The pineal gland registers the amount of light in our surroundings, and if it finds no light, it increases the melatonin level, signalling it is time to go to sleep. If light is present, the melatonin production decreases and we feel more awake. Thus, restoring and maintaining adequate amounts of melatonin is crucial for people with sleep disorders.

Other factors besides light decrease our melatonin supply, including aging, certain prescription drugs, stress, poor nutrition, and EMFs.

In addition to regulating sleep, researchers are discovering that adequate melatonin stores improve body immunity, have anti-cancer and anti-aging properties, can relieve depression, and may boost sexual function. Those types of health conditions are the same ones that researchers say can be hurt by EMF overexposure. The connection between melatonin and EMFs appears to be getting more solid evidence. A team of researchers in 1996, for example, found that blood melatonin levels in female rats decreased after exposure to 50-Hz magnetic fields, about the same frequency as most household appliances. Many similar studies on melatonin are now underway.¹⁸

At the same time, not being exposed to naturally occurring EMFs can have a negative impact on health, for they function as a kind of energy nutrient. Kyoichi Nakagawa, M.D., director of the Isuzu Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, observes that the amount of time people now spend in buildings and cars (tightly enclosed spaces) reduces their exposure to the geomagnetic field of the earth and may interfere with their health. Dr. Nakagawa calls this condition "magnetic field deficiency syndrome", noting it can cause headaches, dizziness, muscle stiffness, chest pain, insomnia, constipation, and general fatigue.

References

This article is excerpted from the Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide: Sleep Disorders (Clinically Proven Alternative Therapies to help you get a good night's sleep.) Reprinted with permission of the publisher, AlternativeMedicine.com. Visit their website at www.alternativemedicine.com

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This article was
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 "Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide: Sleep Disorders"
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About The Author

Herbert Ross, D.C., is an internationally known authority on alternative solutions to sleep disorders and founder of the Aspen Sleep Institute, in Colorado. Dr. Ross is a certified acupuncturist and a neuro-emotional (NET) therapist. He lectures extensively on sleep disorders on television and in person throughout the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Ross is personal chiropractor to motivational speaker Anthony Robbins. Keri Brenner, L.Ac., is a licensed acupuncturist and writer based in Fairfax, California. Keri holds a master's degree in acupuncture and Oriental medicine from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. She began her journalism career as a reporter for newspapers on both the East and West coasts, and currently provides editorial content for a self-help-oriented website in San Francisco.