Should I sleep under an aluminium blanket?

You could, if it makes you feel better. Whether it does probably depends on your feelings towards a condition called electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS).

The condition was thrust into the spotlight by Sir William Stewart, chair of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), who told a recent press conference that more research was needed. Sufferers say exposure to radiation from everything from TV sets to power lines brings on headaches, burning sensations and muscle ache. Some insomniacs even resort to the metallic bedclothes.

The NRPB has now asked Neil Irvine, an epidemiologist at Belfast City Hospital, to investigate.

Michael Clark of the NRPB says: "There is no evidence for this effect but lots of people report it. They are affected by something, they go a bit strange and all sorts of symptoms appear."

Some countries recognise EHS as a genuine condition. "But that doesn't mean they accept electricity is the cause," Clark says.

Experiments show sufferers are no more able than non-sufferers to detect electrical fields from hidden equipment turned on and off without their knowledge.

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