Dozing off while charging your phone overnight could lead to serious consequences.
So much so that Apple issued a warning to iPhone users who leave their device on charge while they sleep.
Although leaving your mobile plugged in while you drift off into a peaceful slumber seems like a convenient way to save time by ensuring you wake up to a full battery, it’s best to avoid doing this because of the risk of fire and injury.
The dangers are particularly prevalent if you iPhone is covered up and is unable to ventilate properly, like if it's beneath a pillow or duvet. This common mistake could lead to dangerous overheating that could ultimately damage your phone and, in some situations, could even start a fire.
In the ‘Important safety information for iPhone’ memo on the Apple website, Apple warns that phone users should ‘avoid prolonged skin contact with the charging cable and connector when the charging cable is connected to a power source because it may cause discomfort or injury’.
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The memo also states: “Sleeping or sitting on the charging cable or connector should be avoided.”
In regards to prolonged heat exposure, Apple warns that ‘sustained contact with warm surfaces for long periods of time may cause discomfort or injury’.
The memo continues: “Use common sense to avoid situations where your skin is in contact with a device, its power adapter, or a wireless charger when it’s operating or connected to a power source for long periods of time.
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"For example, don’t sleep on a device, power adapter, or wireless charger, or place them under a blanket, pillow, or your body, when it’s connected to a power source.
"Keep your iPhone, the power adapter, and any wireless charger in a well-ventilated area when in use or charging. Take special care if you have a physical condition that affects your ability to detect heat against the body.”
These rules should be followed even if you don't use an iPhone.
Although it may seem obvious, falling asleep while your phone is charging is all too common.
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In a post on TikTok, a firefighter from Kent Fire Rescue said: "We get a lot of questions here at Kent Fire Rescue about why you shouldn't charge phones overnight. So here are the reasons why.
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"Number one: you can't smell anything when you're asleep, so if it starts to burn, the fire won't wake you up.
"Number two: it only takes three breaths, right, to knock you unconscious.
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"Number three: lots of people have cheap or faulty phone chargers, or even genuine ones have been known start fires.
"If you're able to, we advise you to charge your phone when you're there and awake from a fire service point of view. It's much safer."
Topics: Life, Technology, Apple, Sleep
Gregory Robinson