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SCIENTISTS ISSUE URGENT WARNING ABOUT USING YOUR PHONE IN BED

October 17, 2024
10 months ago
Adaora Okonkwo Avatar

Jesse Kwao
Blogger
SCIENTISTS ISSUE URGENT WARNING ABOUT USING YOUR PHONE IN BED
Doomscrolling on social media before falling asleep is a bad habit that many of us would like to kick.
But scientists now warn that using your phone in bed could be hurting more than your sleep pattern.
According to research sponsored by MattressNextDay, your phone could be harbouring harmful bacteria usually found in cockroach droppings.
 
Coming into contact with these germs can lead to rashes, pneumonia, and even sepsis in vulnerable individuals.
Even worse, scientists warn that the warm, humid environment of your bed is the perfect 'petris dish' for this pathogen to grow and spread.

Researchers have found another reason to avoid scrolling on your phone at night, as they reveal your device could be harbouring bacteria usually found in cockroach faeces (stock image)

Researchers swabbed smartphones to reveal that they harbour large amounts of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa which can be harmful

With the average person touching their phone an estimated 2,617 times per day, it is no wonder that our devices can quickly become extremely unhygienic.
Previous studies have found that the buttons on your smartphone can hold up to 10 times as much bacteria as a toilet seat.
To see exactly what kinds of bacteria our devices might be hiding, researchers took swabs from 10 smartphones and 10 smartwatches.
The bacteria from the swabs were then allowed to grow in the lab so researchers could see what kinds of microbes were present.
The most common bacteria living on phones, watches, and Fitbits was Pseudomonas aeruginosa - a bacteria commonly found in cockroach faeces.

Researchers have found that your phone could hold up to 10 times as much bacteria as the toilet seat. These images show bacteria and yeast colonies grown from samples taken off various smartphones

Previous studies have found that one in eight cockroaches captured in hospitals carries this potentially harmful bacteria.
This is particularly worrying for the millions of Britons who bring their phones to bed with them.
A survey of 575 adults conducted by MattressNextDay found that 74 per cent of respondents sleep with their phones by their head or underneath their pillow.
Scientists warn that this potentially exposes you to the harmful bacteria living on your phone.
To make matters worse, Pseudomonas aeruginosa thrives in the humid, warm climates found in your bed.

Despite many people wearing a smartwatch to bed to measure their sleep patterns, the devices were found to harbour large amounts of bacteria

This study reveals that your phone is among the dirtiest objects in the home, containing even more bacteria than the toilet or television remote

Research has found that the average person sweats up to 700ml per night and that the bed typically reaches temperatures of 20°C.
This creates the ideal environment for bacteria to grow and potentially infect you.