Can you sleep with a heated blanket on?

Who doesn’t deserve a peaceful night’s sleep? In today’s busy world, everyone wants to have a shut-eye before returning to that daily grind the next day.

Some people like their beds to be warm and cozy when trying to get some sleep. A regular duvet or blanket won’t suffice in most cases, and that’s where a heated blanket comes in.

These heated blankets have insulated wires that are embedded into the fabric. As soon as you plug the blanket into an outlet, the cables are activated, and the wires heat the material with your bed (also check 8 amazing rechargeable heated blankets).

But is it safe to keep your heated blanket on all night? There is a reason why this question is tossed around a lot among the users of these blankets. That’s why we have developed this guide, and we will answer this question in detail, so keep reading.

What to Consider Before Sleeping with an Electric Blanket?

Before you buy these heated blankets, you need to consider a few things to ensure they are safe for you to use all night long. We have listed them down for your convenience,

Does it come with an auto-shutoff feature?

If your heated blanket is one of the recent models, it will surely come with automatic shut-off features. This is because most of the new models are coming with this feature. It can turn itself off when the blankets get hot.

It can significantly reduce any ballet fires caused by overheating. Older blankets are more prone to this failure. According to a study, over 99 percent of fires are caused by blankets older than 10 years old.

Does it come with a timer function?

You must check whether your heated blanket has an inbuilt tuner function. The Thai way, your blanket will keep you warm and maintain the internal temperature at an optimal level. That way, you won’t have to stay up to shit if you are off once you have fallen asleep.

Does it come with dual controls?

Some modern heated blankets come with dual controls. You can conveniently share your blanket with your partner. It means that one side of the bed can maintain temperatures while the other can maintain different temperatures. Therefore, none of you will have to deal with the issue of overheating at night.

What is the overall condition of your heated blanket?

The overall condition of your heated blanket is another aspect you must keep in mind to determine whether your blanket is good enough for you to keep on all night.

If you haven’t maintained your heated blanket well, it will lose its shape pretty fast, and you will have to bring in a new one because the older one has become too dangerous for you to use while sleeping.

Using a heated blanket all night long

You must consider whether you can use a heated blanket comfortably all night. For instance, if you are a hot sleeper, keeping it on all night and falling asleep will make you pretty uncomfortable.

You become more prone to heat stroke caused by overheating if it goes on for a long. Older adults and children have to be very cautious with these heated blankets, so make sure you go for a suitable model for these age groups.

Inspect Heated Blankets before Use

You have to make sure you inspect your heated blanket before you use it. Apart from any cosmetic damage, you also need to look for internal damages. The control features should be working correctly, and the wires shouldn’t expose from anywhere.

Therefore, your heated blankets must be in top-notch condition, and if it gets old, you need to throw them away. An older blanket is more prone to fire hazards. Don’t go for any used tablets because they might be faulty.

Heated blankets are thin, so they don’t last that long. Therefore, you need to be careful when using them and be sure when it’s time to get rid of them for good.

Reasons Not to Sleep with an Electric Blanket On

Apart from your heated blanket being old, there are various other reasons why you shouldn’t sleep with your electric blanket on. Some potential health risks directly link to sleep while your heated blanket is still on.

Electrical fires

Of course, these heated blankets come with wires and cables, which can lead to severe fire or burning hazards to you and your home.

If there are broken wires in your heated blanket, you need to immediately fix it before you plug it into an electric outlet.

You must ensure you look after your blanket properly, and if it damages, you need to replace it immediately.

Burns & heat stroke

If you keep your heated ballet running all night long, you might be at risk of overheating, and this can also cause burns or heat stroke. It can cause a wide range of other health issues and might trigger any underlying health problems.

People with Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, and even dementia will have to deal with different temperature alterations in their reception that are attached to their skin.

This will make it incredibly difficult to tell when they are too hot. This can lead to heat stroke or burs caused by overheating. For people with diabetes, these issues can come with an added complication of nerve damage or neuropathy.

These conditions can reduce your ability to feel, and your nerves don’t pick up any warning signs that your body is giving. If there are any such underlying issues, using a heated blanket all night long could be a disaster waiting to happen.

Miscarriages & congenital disabilities

For pregnant women, prolonged exposure to heat can lead to miscarriages and birth defects. Therefore, you must be very careful while using these heated blankets as they can complicate your conditions and affect your child’s overall health.

The temperature in the womb can alter from these blankets and indirectly impact the overall growth and development of the child. Therefore, you must be cautious when using these heated blankets all night long if you’re pregnant. According to a WHO report, these blankets can cause miscarriages and congenital disabilities in case of overexposure.

Cancer

Prolonged exposure to heat or higher temperatures can also give rise to cancerous cells in your body. According to a cancer research, over-heat exposure can cause heat.

Therefore, you have to be wary of using these heated blankets all night long if they don’t have any automatic temperature regulation features.

If you have been exposed to overheating and have experienced heat strokes, it can lead to brain hemorrhage at some later stage, so you have to keep an eye on that too.

How to Use an Electric Blanket Safely?

There are ways to use your electric blankets safely. We have listed them down below for your consideration.

• You must examine the overall conditions of your heated blankets thoroughly before you get into them for the night. It must not be worn out or burnt anywhere at all.
• Remember to read the manual with your heated blanket when you buy it.
• Be sure to keep the heat levels within the specifications set by the manufacturer.
• Make sure to turn the blanket off when you’re not using it.
• Always use new models in tip-top condition and get rid of any older ones.
• Make sure to keep the blanket on top of you and never under you to prevent it from getting squeezed under your weight.
• Let your blanket cool off once you have used it and are putting it away.
• Wrap those cables around properly when you are not using the blanket.

Buy a High-Quality Electric Blanket

You must make sure you purchase your heated blanket from a quality manufacturer. This is the most important thing that you have to do right off the bat. Going for a quality product will ensure you won’t have to deal with any issues later.

If you are trying a new brand you have heard of before, make sure to go through the reviews and consider price as a secondary factor here. Your health and safety are the first concern, and don’t go for any cheap knock-off products to save a few bucks.

Consider the deal with automatic features, regulations features, and an auto shut-off feature. This way, you won’t have to get up each time and check the temperature of your blanket.

Handle the Blanket with Care

You must be sure to use your heated ballet with great care. These blankets don’t come cheap, so it is pretty much understandable why you should treat them with respect.

Be sure not to let the blanket come under your weight and prevent it from many twists and turns as well. Keep it as straight as possible, and you will be able to elongate its overall lifespan and protect it from any spills, or you will risk damaging the cables and wires in your blanket.

Benefits of Sleeping with a Heated Blanket

There are various benefits of sleeping in a heated blanket, and we are listing them down for you to follow,

• Heated blankets are a much cheaper alternative to your house’s central heating system. It means you will be able to reduce your electricity costs significantly.
• These heated blankets help with various conditions, such as joint pains, backaches, sciatica, and arthritis. They come in handy in boosting your blood flow.
• These blankets enable you to sleep better, especially for people disturbed by sudden temperature changes.
• Heated blankets tell your body to go to sleep because they give your body the right temperature to enter the resting mode.
• These heated blankets boost your mood because you have been enjoying the best sleep conditions at night under the blanket, and you get a fully rested sleep.

Conclusion:

Heated blankets are pretty good for a wide range of health issues. You need to be careful that these beats can be a source of many other health concerns if you overuse them. Therefore, you can use them for short sessions, but it is highly recommended not to use them all night long.

References

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/electromagnetic-fields-fact-sheet

https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html

https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/heating-blanket-safety-0