Many of us don't leave our dear cell phones behind when we go to bed. In fact, 44 percent of people have fallen asleep with their cell phone close by their bed, according to the Pew Internet Project.
But the innocent move could be putting you at risk.
The New York Police Department is warning those who stuff their phones under their pillow as they snooze to stop doing so immediately. And one look at the photos that the NYPD's 33rd Precinct shared on Twitter is enough to oblige.
The downright terrifying images show a charred pillow and mattress following a cell phone explosion. That's right, the barely recognizable cell phone burned while being smushed in a person's bed. (But at least it's just the bed in this case and not a person's body, like the young girl who suffered a cell phone burn in England.)
"Don't put your cellphone under a pillow when sleeping or when charging your device. Please share this tip and b safe!" the NYPD's tweet urges.
View the photos below…
The scary incident has been reported before.
In 2014, a teen from Texas recalled waking up from the smell of smoke and then discovering it was the cell phone under her pillow.
Samsung manuals (seen on page 18) even warn cell phone owners of the potential risk: "Covering the device with bedding, your body, thick clothing or any other materials that significantly affect airflow may affect the performance of the phone and poses a possible risk of fire or explosion, which could lead to serious bodily injuries or damage to property."
Fire Chief David Berardesca from the Hamden Fire Department in Connecticut explains that cell phones need ventilation.
"It is recommended that you leave these types of devices on a hard surface so the heat can dissipate. The batteries heat up, they could melt — in some cases, explode — and cause a fire," he told NBC in a 2015 article.
Please SHARE to warn others about the potential danger of sleeping with a cell phone under a pillow or in between the sheets!
