Increasing Numbers of Persons with Sleeping Problems in Sweden.

Since the beginning of the millennium, the general public has been exposed to significantly more radiofrequency (RF) radiation due to the widespread use of smartphones and the gradual expansion of mobile infrastructure, including 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. During this same period, sleep disorders have become more prevalent in Sweden, particularly among children, adolescents, and young adults – historically low-risk age groups for sleep disorders. This study investigates whether the prevalence of clinically diagnosed sleep disorders increased between 2001 and 2024, and if so, whether this increase is temporally associated (correlation) with increased RF exposure and/or screen time.

The authors analyzed Sweden’s National Patient Registry from 2001 to 2024. The study included outpatients with a primary diagnosis of G47 (sleep disorders of organic origin) or F51 (non-organic disorders) according to the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). They conducted the analysis across five age cohorts (0–4, 5–19, 20–39, 40–59, and 60+ years) and standardized it to 100,000 people in each group.

Significant increases in G47 diagnoses were documented across all age cohorts. The sharpest increase was observed in the 5- to 19-year-old age group. In this group, the number of diagnosed patients increased 17-fold, rising from 13.8 to 235.6 per 100,000 people between 2001 and 2024. This increase accelerated significantly after 2009, coinciding with the widespread adoption of smartphones and the expansion of the 4G network. The rate of sleep disorder diagnoses also increased in all other age groups: among children ages 0–4, it rose from 41.5 to 215.8; among adults ages 20–39, it rose from 40.4 to 220.9; among adults ages 40–59, it rose from 169.5 to 362.8; and among adults ages 60 and older, it rose from 116.4 to 322.9. No significant changes were observed for F51 diagnoses.

The authors point out that a population-wide increase in clinically diagnosed sleep disorders occurred in Sweden, coinciding with the expansion of mobile infrastructure and the increased use of mobile devices. They discuss the effects of RF radiation on brain activity and the suppression of melatonin production by blue light from screens as possible causes. However, the scientists emphasize that this study generates hypotheses and call for further studies that specifically assess sleep disorders, RF exposure, and biological parameters. The increase is definitely not due to a higher reporting rate.

Editor’s note:

Of particular concern is the significant increase in sleep disorder diagnoses among children and adolescents. These age groups are undergoing developmental changes and are therefore especially vulnerable to the effects of RF exposure. According to a 2022 statistical study by the Swedish Media Council, more than 70% of 15-year-olds and 40% of 12-year-olds use a mobile phone for more than three hours a day. A key limitation of the study is its purely correlative, registry-based approach. Causal conclusions are methodologically impossible, and confounders, such as pandemic-related stress symptoms, cannot be controlled for. Nevertheless, the study provides relevant epidemiological findings that should not be ignored in the context of the growing body of literature on RF-induced neurophysiological pathologies. (RH).