In home assessments, it is critical to focus on the sleeping area as it is one of the places we spend the most time. This time should be as low-stress as possible to facilitate rest and body regeneration.

Environmental exposures matter! This includes building materials, furnishings, air quality and energy in the sleeping area. Assessing and mitigating EMF (electromagnetic fields…magnetic, electric, and radiofrequency fields) can mean the difference between great sleep and functionality and chronic health issues. Create a low-EMF sleep environment from cradle to grave if you can.

Usually, in our modern urban and suburban environments, this means taking several steps in the bedroom, including installing a sleep canopy.

But first, a little background. Electromagnetic fields are biologically active. Elevated electromagnetic fields have been long associated with a host of long-term and short-term symptoms and disease. They cause DNA damage, mitochondrial damage, interfere with cell communication and detoxification. Exposure to elevated electromagnetic fields are associated with countless acute and chronic health conditions, especially including neurological and cardiovascular problems. Our bodies take on a wide variety of stresses throughout the day, but if they can’t repair, reset and detox at night, that’s where problems get more serious.

The most common issues I see in bedrooms, which can be corrected, are elevated electric fields from home wiring in the walls and elevated radiofrequency fields both from digital devices in the home and from sources outside the home.

Increasingly, in our digital world, it is not possible to bring the levels of radiofrequency down to acceptable levels per Building Biology Guidelines (under 10 microwatts per square meter for levels of low concern and under 0.01 UW/m2 for the real ideal) simply by turning off digital pollution in the home. In that case, other interventions like shielding are indicated.

The most straightforward way to shield yourself from radiofrequency (RF) during sleeping hours (a large portion of your life hopefully), is by installing a bed canopy. There are many varieties out there and there is wide variability in terms of quality.

The canopy I recommend and use is a Naturell canopy that you can get through Safe Living Technologies (slt.co—use discount code HB5 for 5% off). Unless you’re on basement level, you will need a floor sheet as well for a full enclosure. I have tested the Naturell canopy and it is effective at blocking over 99% of RF when installed correctly.

There are benefits to using ungrounded canopies like this one. It is important to use them in an environment where electric fields are low (ideally with body voltage measurements of 100 millivolts or less).

One-on-one consultation can be extremely helpful in getting a handle on all the fields and especially bringing down commonly elevated electric fields which have an overwhelming impact on the body.

If you are interested in creating a safe sleep sanctuary for yourself and your family, reach out to info@homebiome.org to arrange a consultation.