Electric Blankets?

[roo4]

We have an electric mattress pad. Heavenly! Ours has dual controls, which I recommend if you are sharing the bed. I preheat my side, then turn it off when I am ready to sleep.

[Jolt]

I tend to agree with Crankin...think they're a fire hazard and wouldn't want to use one. I have a quilt, a wool blanket and fleece sheets for the winter and this has been sufficient.

[Pax]

The old ones definitely had fire issues, the new ones are all hi tech and fancy... and short lived. But still soooooo warm!

[Catrin]

Hadn't thought about flannel sheets! I do have "pillows" filled with seed corn that I heat up in the microwave to toss between the sheets before bed, but of course that just provides spot warmth. I've a quilt, but it just isn't warm enough. I don't know why, but it seems like my bedroom has always been the coldest room in my apartment regardless of where I live, and I do live alone. In the summer all I have on my bed are the sheets, but we are past that now. I forget why I decided to dispose of my large blanket at the end of winter last year, but I need to replace it.

I am still a bit nervous over the idea of sleeping with an electric blanket. Perhaps I should explore both a set of flannel sheets and a thermal blanket to go with my not-very-warm comforter and still possibly pay less than for a decent electric blanket. I've my bed-warmer things, whatever you call those seed-corn "pillows" that I have, and I've used them for years, thankfully they don't "wear out"

[Pax]

One thing you can do with an inexpensive twin sized electric blanket is turn it on a couple of hours before bed, on high, pre heat your bed and then turn it off.

[Catrin]

One thing you can do with an inexpensive twin sized electric blanket is turn it on a couple of hours before bed, on high, pre heat your bed and then turn it off.

Hadn't thought about this option, something to consider!

[Pax]

Hadn't thought about this option, something to consider!

It's heavenly getting into toasty warm sheets! Must be what it's like living in the tropics.

[shootingstar]

I didn't realize electric blankets still existed.

No, I just prefer to pile on an extra blanket...which I don't need to since I have my place heated enough. I'm walking around in shorts at home now and it's at least -18 degrees C tonight. I worked for a provincial fire marshal's office for nearly a decade....yea, electric blanket fires awhile ago. I have no idea how they are constructed now...but still wouldn't do it.

[VeganBikeChick]

I had the best idea this morning when I biked home from work in the freezing cold after an overnight shift. Took the blanket off the back of the couch, threw it in the dryer and ran the dryer while I ate breakfast. Then went to bed with my super warm blanket and fell asleep immediately. Best idea ever.

[Verifirs]

Sunbeam BW1213-030-470 Heated Electric Microplush Blanket queen size is the latest best electric blanket brand known to me so far.. It has exclusive warming system senses and adjusts to deliver consistent warmth.. This blanket is very soft. It feels like 2 thin blankets with the heating wires between them. It has a lightweight feel, but heats up very quickly and keeps us both warm throughout the night even at a low setting..

[Flirty&Fit]

I realise that this is a bit of an older thread, but I would advise any new readers coming across this to stay away from electric blankets. I would stick to a duvet, and if desired, put a hot water bottle at the bottom of your bed to warm up where your feet will be before you go to bed.

The reason I say stay away from electric blankets is because the electricity will actually interfere with sleep quality. Electromagnetic fields interrupt your body's natural phases of sleep. I came across this because I was having serious insomnia problems and went to two sleep clinics to get some answers. Along with encouraging me to have a very strict sleep routine, the obviously told me to eliminate caffiene intake after 3pm, do not eat and especially don't drink any alcohol past 8pm, exercise and heated activities (like a hot bath or shower) should not be performed within 2 hours of going to bed to allow heart rate and body temperature to return to a natural resting state (note: the heated blanket will increase heart rate with body temperature - ideal sleeping temperature is 68°F or 20°C). They also cautioned to remove all electronics from my bedroom, and proceeded to explain to me how this affects sleep. Coming from a generation that uses thier phone for everything, it was my alarm and was always within arms reach. Apparently this is a terrible practice for a healthy sleep routine.

Everyone is different and so are their sensitivities. Ultimately do what works best for you, but keep in mind that even if you are warm, if it is going to keep you awake or reduce your quality of sleep, it is probably not worth it.

See some of these articles:
http://www.electricsense.com/988/whe...tic-radiation/
http://www.esdjournal.com/articles/cober/ground.htm
http://www.earthcalm.com/having-trou...-health-effect

[solobiker]

This is what we do and I love it...It is a sad night for me when I forget to do it. :-)

[Catrin]

It doesn't matter how warm my apartment is, I get COLD when I go to bed. I have always been that way. So far I've only added one blanket and switched to flannel sheets which has helped quite a bit, but yeah, I can see another blankie being added...

[solobiker]

When I forget to turn it on. Once I am cold I am cold and I have a hard time warming myself up without moving around...which I am not doing if I am trying to sleep. I pretty much freeze once I stop biking, x-country skiing this time of year so I pretty much do not stop until I get back to the car or back to home.