Toxic Exposures
Kids’ Sleeping Problems Linked to Wireless Radiation, Screens
The number of children and teens ages 5-19 in Sweden diagnosed with sleep disorders has increased roughly 17-fold since 2001, according to a new peer-reviewed study. The authors said the sharp uptick in sleeping problems coincided with the increased use of cellphones and the widespread proliferation of 5G cell towers, which emit radiofrequency radiation.
The number of children and teens ages 5-19 in Sweden diagnosed with sleep disorders has increased roughly 17-fold since 2001, according to a new peer-reviewed study.
Kids ages 0-4 saw a roughly five-fold increase, said the study authors, who published their report on Jan. 8 in Diseases.
The authors said the sharp uptick in sleeping problems coincided with the increased use of cellphones and the widespread proliferation of 5G cell towers, which emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation.
The increased use of screens, which emit blue light, is also a likely culprit, they said. Blue light can disrupt hormones like melatonin that affect sleep, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
“The steep increase of sleep problems among children aged 0-19 years is extremely concerning because sleep is, of course, of vital importance for good health, the study’s lead author, Mona Nilsson, told The Defender.
Nilsson and her co-author, Lennart Hardell, M.D., Ph.D., analyzed national health statistics on sleep disorder diagnoses from 2001-2024.
Nilsson is co-founder and director of the Swedish Radiation Protection Foundation. Hardell is an oncologist and epidemiologist with the Environment and Cancer Research Foundation. He’s also the author of more than 350 papers, nearly 60 of which address RF radiation, and one of the first researchers to publish reports on the toxicity of Agent Orange.
In addition to finding that the number of sleep problems among kids had dramatically risen, Nilsson and Hardell noted that young adults ages 20-39 saw a roughly five-fold increase in sleep problems, too.
For years, scientists have warned about the harmful effects of wireless radiation, including sleep problems, Nilsson said. “But unfortunately, the telecommunications industry has captured most influential organizations responsible for protecting the public.”
According to Nilsson, the World Health Organization, the European Union and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) protect the wireless industry’s interests, rather than people’s health.
“This situation needs to change rapidly so that the evidence is objectively evaluated, independent experts are heard and people are informed about the many health risks with this technology,” she said.
Hardell agreed. “Our results must be taken seriously,” he told The Defender.
According to Hardell, mainstream media have reported on the rising number of sleep problems among kids and teens. “But so far the impact of exposure to radiofrequency radiation has not been considered.”
Findings on sleep problems add to earlier findings of memory problems
In October 2025, Hardell and Nilsson published a study showing that children ages 5-19 in Sweden and Norway were experiencing an “alarming” rise in memory problems. The increase also coincided with the rise in RF radiation exposure.
According to Nilsson, the sleep and memory problems being experienced by Swedish youth are likely related. She noted that research has repeatedly shown that RF radiation from wireless technology impairs the brain.
She shared with The Defender a list of nearly 60 studies that document RF radiation’s negative effect on learning and memory.
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‘The evidence keeps getting stronger and stronger’
The study’s new findings on increased sleep problems add to the growing pile of studies that suggest RF radiation is undermining kids’ health, said Miriam Eckenfels, director of Children’s Health Defense’s (CHD) Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) & Wireless Program.
“The evidence keeps getting stronger and stronger as more studies are published that associate RF radiation with more negative health impacts,” Eckenfels said. “It is about time governments take this issue more seriously.”
However, the FCC is trying to adopt new rules that would make it easy for telecom companies to install cell towers in communities without residents’ consent — even if the tower isn’t really needed to close a coverage gap in cell service, she said.
On Nov. 25, 2025, CHD filed a motion with the FCC, urging the agency to comply with a 2021 court order to review evidence that RF radiation at levels currently allowed by the agency harms people, especially children, and the environment.
“The document essentially tells the FCC to either protect people, or get out of the way and let other federal agencies, like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, set health and safety limits for wireless radiation exposure,” Eckenfels said.
Related articles in The Defender
- Kids Who Get Cellphones Before Age 12 at Higher Risk of Obesity, Depression, Poor Sleep
- Study Links Surge in Children’s Memory Problems to Wireless Radiation Exposure
- Cellphone Radiation Causes Abnormal Blood Clumping in Just 5 Minutes, Study Finds
- Kids Developed Headaches, Stomach Pain, Sleeping Issues While at Vacation Home Near Multiple 5G Antennas
- Screen Time Increases Kids’ Risk of High Blood Pressure, Insulin Resistance
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