Stop Sleeping Next to Your Charging Phone & Try These Safe Charging Habits Instead

We all have our nighttime habits. Some of us scroll through Instagram reels until our eyes get too heavy, and others sleep with their favourite playlist in the background. But one habit that has quietly become very common and potentially very dangerous is sleeping next to your iPhone plugged in and charging alongside you on the bed.

It appears harmless: plug in the charger, place it on your pillow or under your blanket, and sleep. After all, you want to wake up with a 100% battery. However, science and various safety incidents suggest that this small routine poses some dangers you should not ignore. From overheating to radiation to fire risks, a lot can go wrong with sleeping next to a charging iPhone. 

So, if you’re planning to sleep next to your charging phone or are already in bed next to one, here is what you need to know about the dangers of this act.

Overheating is one of the worst dangers of charging your iPhone under your pillow or beside you. Phones release heat when charging, and when you place them under pillows, bed sheets, or sleep on them, the heat has nowhere to escape.

This caged heat can kill the phone's battery, shorten its lifespan, and, in extreme cases, cause the battery to swell or even burn. If you live in a hot climate, like Nigeria, where the temperature and humidity levels are high, then the dangers are doubled. It's not just about ruining the gadget; it's about risking your life by sleeping near a possible fire. 

Like any other smartphone, iPhones release non-ionising electromagnetic radiation when linked to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or mobile data. Health experts have advised limiting direct, extended exposure to radiation, especially at night while sleeping.

Keeping your charging iPhone directly beside your head while sleeping raises this exposure. Although the doses are low compared to X-rays or UV radiation, years of cumulative nightly exposure may still have effects. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared mobile phone radiofrequency "possibly carcinogenic." 

The concept isn't to frighten you but to highlight that your body requires a low-radiation environment during sleep. Having your phone within arm's reach or in the other room can help.

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The blue light used by your iPhone screen can interfere with your body's natural melatonin production, the hormone that promotes sleep. This might make you sleep less comfortably or wake up feeling less refreshed.

If your iPhone is charging beside you, the temptation to look at those late-night notifications or doomscrolling before sleep is strong. This act keeps your head active and engaged when it should be winding down. With time, poor sleep habits can lead to fatigue.

So, even when your overheating iPhone doesn't overheat or give off radiation, it still silently nibbles at your sleep.

Another factor is the impact of overnight charging on the battery health of your iPhone. Even leaving your iPhone charging for eight hours every night still stresses the lithium-ion battery.

Trickle charging (charging the phone 100%, lowering a little, and recharging again) produces small levels of heat and chemical stress on the battery. This reduces overall battery health over time and your phone's usable life.

Apple recommends avoiding extreme heat and not keeping your phone plugged in unnecessarily long. Charging your phone an hour or two before sleeping and then unplugging it can save you from harm while preserving your phone's battery life.

Most people use fake or low-quality chargers because they are cheaper and can be replaced easily. The downside is that these chargers lack the security features inherent in Apple-approved cables.

Sleeping with an iPhone plugged into a counterfeit charger increases the possibility of sparks, shocks, or short circuits. Even original chargers are not 100% risk-free, especially if the cable is worn out or the plug socket is overloaded. 

READ MORE: 5 Best iPhone Accessories to Boost Your Productivity in 2025

What’s the safer way to handle charging your iPhone overnight?

• Charge your phone a bit earlier before you go to sleep so it is fully charged when you're in bed.

• Position a small table or stand slightly away from your bed, where your phone can charge without being too close to you.

• If you cannot charge in advance, turn on low-power mode at bedtime to reduce overnight battery drain.

• Use Apple-certified or MFi-approved charging accessories to steer clear of electrical dangers.

These simple changes can have you waking up with a charged phone without compromising your health, safety, and sleep.

Sleeping beside a charging iPhone may seem harmless, but the sneaky dangers are real. The risks outweigh the convenience, from fires and overheating to radiation exposure, insomnia, and battery deterioration.

Your bed should be a sleep haven, not a charging station for electronics. By making simple changes like charging your phone before bed, keeping your phone in another room, or buying safe accessories, you can protect your health, your home, and your phone.

A full battery isn't worth an empty night's rest, or worse, a fire accident.