With the hope of improving sleep quality and overall health, many people choose to turn off the wifi routes at night. However, according to experts, the physiological impact of this action is not as clear as many people mistakenly believe.
Dr Hiran S. Reddy, a special care physician at Gleneagles Hospital, Hyderabad (India), confirmed that turning off wifi for a week can hardly create obvious physiological changes for the majority of people. He explained that wifi devices that produce low-level non-ionizing radiation are considered safe by the current scientific community under the conditions of daily exposure.
However, for some people who say they are sensitive to electromagnetic field (EMF), reduced exposure can help relieve symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbances or mental fatigue. However, he also noted that there is currently no solid clinical evidence for the phenomenon of "too much electromagnetic sensitivity".
Dr Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad, added that studies on the effects of wifi on sleep are mostly conducted on animals.
There is no evidence to conclude that wifi waves disrupt the production of melatonin (the hormone that regulates sleep) or negatively affect sleep in humans, he asserted.
According to him, the wifi routes issued in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency band are a form of radiation of much lower energy than mobile phones. At a common household distance, radiation intensity is significantly reduced, making it difficult for the function of the duodenum, which produces melatonin, to be affected.
What is more noteworthy, according to both experts, is the indirect benefits of turning off wifi. When there is no wifi, the habit of using electronic devices at night - which comes with blue light - may decrease.
Green light has been shown to hinder melatonin production, thereby affecting sleep quality.
Stop wifi can help limit screen use, reduce digital distractions and create a more quiet environment for sleep, Dr. Reddy shares.
According to Mr. Reddy, this contributes to improving sleep hygiene, which is a key factor for physical and mental health.
Although there is no solid scientific evidence that turning off wifi at night has a clear biological effect, this habit can help build a healthier lifestyle, especially in establishing and maintaining quality sleep.
