Many people use their cell phone or tablet in bed as a source of entertainment before going to sleep or as their alarm clock in the morning. If you charge your phone in or near your bed, you may want to consider the following.

A fire department in New Hampshire shared on their Facebook page a series of photos of the potential dangers of charging your phones or tablets in or near your bed. The primary concern is that charging cords are not able to dissipate heat if covered by pillows, blankets, or sheets, and could heat up to a level that could cause a fire.  This goes for people that have their devices plugged in while using them in bed, or even for those that fall asleep with their devices plugged in while in bed with them.

While a fire may not occur in all cases, personal injury could also occur if someone were to come into contact with an overheated cable or device, causing skin burns or electrocution in the case of exposed wires that have melted due to excessive heat.

The department cites a statistic that over half of children and teenagers charge their phones in bed, urging parents to check into how and where their children charge their devices. While the post cites children and beds, it is an important piece of information for people of all ages, and locations beyond just beds. Couches and recliners are other locations where a cord/device could get covered up by a pillow and lead to a similar issue.

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