Akin Ibitoye, technology advisor at TMB Tech, has cautioned Nigerians about the health and safety risks associated with sleeping with mobile devices under their pillows or beside their beds.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Ibitoye outlined dangers ranging from disrupted sleep patterns to potential explosions caused by overheating lithium-ion batteries.
“Do not sleep with your gadget under your pillow. When you sleep with your devices under your pillow, it actually affects you. You don’t know,” he warned.

Ibitoye explained that beyond the blue light emissions that interfere with the body’s circadian rhythm—the internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles—the physical presence of mobile phones can reduce sleep quality, increase irritability, and, in extreme cases, pose safety hazards.
“These gadgets disrupt our circadian rhythm. When it’s dark, your body gets the signal it needs to sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, medical experts have said it could negatively impact your body,” he noted.

He also flagged the psychological effects of constant connectivity, cautioning against “doomscrolling”—the habit of intending to spend a few minutes online but ending up scrolling for hours.
“We spoke about doomscrolling, where you just want to check Instagram for five minutes, but you end up spending two hours,” he said.

Ibitoye encouraged a return to using traditional alarm clocks rather than relying on mobile phones to wake up.
“Before mobile phones, we had alarm clocks. The alarm clock would only sound when the time is right,” he pointed out, adding that phones attract distractions at night through pop-ups and vibrations.

For those who claim they need their phones nearby for work or emergencies, he advised, “Unless it’s absolutely tied to your work, you can do without your phone.”

Beyond sleep concerns, Ibitoye emphasized physical hazards such as overheating and fire risks, citing incidents where phones exploded due to heat buildup—especially when left under pillows or bedcovers.
“These batteries, lithium-ion batteries, they don’t allow them on airplanes for good reasons. This tiny marvel of technology can explode anytime. If you keep your phone under your pillow, your phone actually gets heated up,” he warned.

He also referenced concerns about radiation, noting that even when a phone appears off, it can still send and receive signals.
“These electromagnetic devices being so close actually affect the electrical signals in our brain,” he explained, advising frequent phone users to opt for wired or wireless earphones and to keep phones away from their heads.

For those who cannot switch off their phones at night, he recommended using airplane mode.
“If you cannot afford to switch it off, put it in airplane mode. No call will come in, no SMS, no notification, but your alarm will still go off,” he said.

“As ubiquitous as technology is, it can be harmful to our bodies with extended usage,” he concluded.